(VOVworld) – Preliminary results of the February 26 parliamentary elections in Iran were leaning in favor of reformist and moderate forces in both the parliament and the Assembly of Experts. Analysts are sensing winds of change in Iran.

With 90% of the votes counted, radical and moderate candidates were winning all 30 seats in the Tehran constituency. Reformists have been increasing their presence in parliament since 2004 and this election could reshape Iran’s future.

Future directions

The election is being considered a vote of confidence for the reformist government of President Hassan Rouhani and a measure of Iranians’ satisfaction with the recent nuclear deal, social changes and the changing balance of power in Iran. It will also affect the future direction of Iran’s external relations, particularly with the US, the West, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. With decades-long economic and diplomatic sanctions on Iran lifted, Iranians are expecting economic growth so efforts to improve the economy by reaching out to the West have been applauded. Ideas like increasing Iran’s resistance to traditional enemies are no longer supported. Iranians are now more concerned about improving their lives despite rising food and fuel prices.

If the election victory goes to the reformists and moderates, sticking to the nuclear deal will be easier and the political and economic transition will continue.

Winds of change?

Iran’s political arena has long been a power struggle between conservatives and reformists. Reformists insist there should be changes in return for the West’s removal of sanctions and improved relations with the world as a condition for development. Conservatives, though, are hesitant. They consider Islam the foundation of all political and social decisions and they are afraid winds of change will turn into a storm that undercuts their power.

An election victory for the reformists could shape Iran’s political future for the next decade. It would certainly bolster President Rouhani’s policy of reaching out to the US and the West, which he expects will open a new chapter in Iran’s economic growth. President Rouhani may receive closer cooperation from a more moderate parliament in pursuing his agenda. His policy is to expand international cooperation to attract investment and create new jobs. Iran’s market of 80 million consumers will be appealing to foreign investors if appropriate policies are in place.

But, reform won’t happen overnight. Since the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s politics has been a mixture of theocratic and democratic powers. Although the President is head of the state, real power belongs to the 88-member Assembly of Experts, which has the power to elect or dismiss supreme religious leaders.