Ex-Iranian president scrapes in

Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who headed the conservative and centrist tickets, has finished 29th in the…

Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who headed the conservative and centrist tickets, has finished 29th in the race for Tehran's 30 seats in parliament, according to unofficial final results yesterday.

The Interior Ministry said the final count in the capital showed Mr Rafsanjani, once the country's most powerful politician, had enough votes to claim a seat and avoid a runoff.

The count showed reformers backing President Mohammad Khatami had won the 29 other places.