Iran's 10th parliamentary elections, in their second run-off on 29 April, have ended with a large number of seats claimed by supporters of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani but not enough to form a majority. Moderates and reformists won about 40 per cent of the total of 290 seats in the parliament, with the rest being divided equally between the conservatives and the independents at 30 per cent each. The 30 per cent of seats held by the independents means that the real power in the new parliament could be held by the independents, as they can help either the conservatives or the moderates to gain a majority. Because many known candidates were rejected by the country's Guardianship Council in February before the elections, unknowns entered the race and some of these have turned out to be moderates or reformists. Since the affiliations of many of the independents are unknown, counting on them will be a challenge for Rouhani's government only a year before the next presidential elections in Iran. The president needs the support of the parliament to implement his economic policies and the nuclear deal with the West, which has recently been questioned by hardliners. As a result, independents in the parliament may be the most important power in the country, and their views will be crucial to the government. However, the lack of political parties in Iran means that no MP is obligated to remain faithful to the list that elected him, no matter whether he is considered a reformist or a conservative. Each MP is free to vote as he likes, regardless of his original affiliation. It will not be easy for Rouhani to count on the independents as it will take time for their political agenda and interests to be revealed. But no matter what political path they may adopt, the 10th parliament will generally be in more harmony with the president than the previous one. The government hopes the parliament will help pass bills guaranteeing foreign investment in Iran. One of the major issues Iran's economy suffers from is the lack of foreign investment, and laws will need to be passed to protect such investments in order to encourage it. Political struggles and internal confrontations between different factions have also been responsible for discouraging foreign investment in Iran, notably in the oil and gas sectors, which Iran needs to upgrade and expand the industry. In the past two and a half years of Rouhani's presidency, much government time has been spent on the nuclear negotiations and implementation of the nuclear deal. As a result, fixing the country's paralysed economy and implementing the rule of law are now priorities. The parliament may be able to assist the government in giving the president more space to work with foreign entities and investors. Not having had the time to work on internal issues, Rouhani has also been challenged by rivals, and if he wants to run for a further term improvements will need to be visible and significant. Improving the economy, the main goal for the majority of people, and opening up the society, a main goal of the reformists who supported him, will mean there are many challenges ahead before he enters the next presidential race. Today, the most important issue for the public is the economy, and to win the hearts of the people Rouhani needs to make ordinary people's lives better. Once he has done so, he will be able to spend more time on other issues, such as the arrest of the country's opposition leaders. Time is passing fast, and if the new parliament helps him boost the economy he may have more time free for other matters. However, there is always the threat that Rouhani may lose the next presidential elections if he is perceived as not having done enough to aid the reformists. The floating 30 per cent of independents in the new parliament have more power than the moderates or conservatives. The latter are also not ultra-hardliners, as their predecessors were in the former parliament. There is an opportunity for Rouhani to improve his public image and popularity a year ahead of the presidential elections, particularly if he can take the new parliament, due to begin its work on 20 May, with him.
