(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh and Robert Fragnito for their compilation)

Politics

  • The official Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency, publishes the “election results” 41 minutes before the end of the voting. According to the IRNA “election result” the Principalist Alliance has “won 60 percent of the seats”, while independent candidates have won 25 percent ant the reformist front 15 percent of the vote.
  • Ali Larijani tops the candidate list in Qom. “Landslide victory”
  • The Ministry of Interior expels all the journalists from news agencies and newspapers with reformist inclinations from the press conference room of the ministry.
  • The voting station in Na’in attacked after rumors of the victory of the reformist candidate was spread in the city.
  • According to Emrooz, conscripts in northeastern Tehran were forced to vote for the Principalist alliance at the Aghdassiyeh mosque. Authorities in Isfahan “disqualify” journalists and reporters from media inclined towards the reformist camp from covering the elections in Isfahan.
  • Minister of interior says 60 percent of the electorate participated in parliamentary elections in the Islamic Republic.
  • Head of the election council claims participation level has been as high as 65 percent.
  • Minister of interior says 71 percent of the parliamentary seats have been won by the Principalist Alliance.
  • According to Fars News Agency, the Principalist Alliance has won the parliamentary elections in the Islamic Republic. The numbers according to Fars are 107 of 179 counted constituencies.
  • Talayee-Niik of the Justice and Development Party – member of the Grand Principalist Alliance – has won 71 seats in the parliament.
  • The reformist alliance seems to have gained 34 seats in the Iranian parliament.
  • The military commander of Tehran says election participation in the capital was around 40 percent.Iran rejects the Arab Inter-parliamentary Union statement concluding that Iran has occupied the islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa.
  • Reports in Iran claim that over 16 million voters have participated in the parliamentary elections marking a 25 percent increase in the previous parliamentary elections.
  • Iran’s judiciary under pressure after websites expose Tehran’s Police Chief Reza Zarei’s involvement sex scandal.
  • According to Asr-e Iran, 18 members of the Principalist Alliance top the Tehran list of candidates.
  • Fars News Agency claims some Khatami supporters have made it to the top of the Tehran list.
  • Tabnak News Agency predicts that election participation surpasses 60 percent of the electorate.
  • The Islamic Republic of Iran minister of interior says election participation is higher than parliamentary elections four years ago.
  • 2,500 election observers from the reformist camp are barred from monitoring the voting process by a decree from the Council of Guardians. More.
  • Emrooz reports 44 of 102 “competitive seats” are won by the reformists. By “competitive seats” the news agency is referring to constituencies where candidates from different political party formations were present.
  • Upon rumors of reformist majority in southern Tehran, Rooz claims the Council of Guardians has decided to cancel the votes from those constituencies.
  • Disqualified parliamentary candidate from the National Trust Party, Seyyed Ebrahim Amini writes a letter of protest to the Council of Guardians. Mousavi Lari of the reformist Islamic Participation front writes a letter of protest against disqualification of the reformist camp election observers.
  • Ansar News attacks Lari by calling his protests the acts of a loser.
  • Asr-e Iran publishes the latest results from minor constituencies.

Diplomacy

  • Sada Cumber, U.S. Envoy to Organization of Islamic Conference, reaches out to Iran; slapped down by Iranian envoy.
  • Iran and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a cooperation protocol in many economic sectors. Iranian officials also expressed interests in the development of other agreements in the areas of mining, power, and energy.
  • Iran is ready to hold talks with the West on its nuclear program on equal footing and without preconditions says Rafsanjani.
  • Ahmedinejad says that Israel and its allies are the enemies of Islamic nations and of humanity.
  • Bahrain-based Future Bank sanctioned by the United States for its links with Iran’s Melli Bank.
  • In a Friday sermon, Lebanese Shia leader Fadhlallah said March 14 that U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney’s regional tour is geared at creating new threats against Iran.
  • Iran and India plan to strengthen cultural ties through their educational institutions.
  • Former nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani: “The most important effect of new U.N. Security Council Resolutions in the world is psychological.”

Human Rights and Labor

  • A member of the Basij Resistance Force shoots and kills a 16 year old boy and an eighteen years old girl at the voting station in Tonekabon.
  • Families of imprisoned student activists Majid Tavakkoli, Ahmad Ghassaban and Ehsan Mansouri write a Ranjnameh [A letter of sorrow] to the head of the Judiciary.
  • Three leftist student activists–Behzad Bagheri, Peyman Piran and Ali Kantouri — transferred to solitary cells in Evin prison.
  • The Islamic Student Council at the Allameh University condemns the arrest of student activist Said Feizullahzadeh.
  • Imprisoned labor activist Mahmoud Salehi falls into coma.

Photo of the Day

  • Bride and Groom vote.