Iran vetting body reinstates more election hopefuls

TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian hardline vetting body has reinstated another 250 candidates to run in next month's parliamentary election, Iranian media reported on Tuesday, but reformists say they still face an uphill battle.

The vote for the 290-seat parliament, dominated by hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's supporters, is a test for the president who came to power in 2005 vowing to share oil wealth more fairly but failed to curb inflation and unemployment.

Moderate politicians and some of Ahmadinejad's backers have complained over the rejection of more than 2,000 of the 7,200 registered hopefuls, initially barred by government committees.

The spokesman for the Guardian Council said those reinstated were from different political parties, including reformists.

"The Guardian Council has reinstated another 251 initially rejected candidates for the upcoming vote," Abbasali Kadkhodai told IRNA, raising the number of reinstated candidates to 831.

Candidates who pass the filter of government committees have to be approved by the conservative-run Guardian Council, which has stopped hundreds of reformists running in past votes.

The council has the power to reinstate those banned during initial screening or bar other hopefuls based on criteria such as loyalty to the Islamic system.

LIVELY RACE

Leading reformist politicians and analysts say the council has failed to ensure a competitive race by not reinstating key moderate hopefuls.

"It seems that the Guardian Council do not want to qualify prominent reformist figures. Most of those reinstated are reformists' third or fourth degree choices," a leading reformist politician, who asked not to be named, told Reuters on Tuesday.

The politician added the Guardian Council "has not brought about fundamental changes for reformists", insisting reformists still planned to contest the vote.

Analyst Saeed Leylaz agreed, but said the reinstatements would also make the race lively. "The more there are candidates ... the more competitive the election becomes," Laylaz said.

The final list of eligible candidates will be announced in the first week of March.

A leading conservative group said moderates have enough candidates for the vote. "The atmosphere of the election will be a competitive and serious atmosphere," said Shahabeddin Sadr, secretary of the United Principalist Front.

Parliament does not draw up policy on major issues such as Iran's nuclear row with the West, but analysts say the result will indicate Ahmadinejad's chance of re-election in 2009.

(Writing by Zahra Hosseinian; Editing by Dominic Evans)