Four people were killed and 16 others injured in two separate clashes related to the recently concluded parliamentary elections in Iran, a local official said yesterday.

　　Violence erupted in Firouzabad, a town some 1,000 kilometers south of Tehran, killing three people on Saturday evening, when electoral results of the constituency were announced, according to an official of the province governor's office.

　　The official added that 15 people were also injured in the conflict between police and supporters of a losing candidate who believed the election had been rigged.

　　In another southern Iranian town, one person was killed and another injured on Friday, when the polls were held around the country to elect the new 290-seat Majlis, or parliament.

　　"A person who tried to clear the stamp from his identity card and vote for a second time was attacked and killed by some from a rival ethnic group," the official said.

　　Existing results showed that Iran's religious conservative parties would win an overwhelming comeback in the parliament. The conservatives lost their majority control over the legislature to their reformist rivals four years ago.

　　Islamic hard-liners moved closer to sealing control of parliament and appeared poised to push aside opponents in the pro-reform stronghold of Tehran because Liberals boycotted the disputed elections.

　　The conservative bloc - a mix of hard-liners and others considered loyal to the ruling clerics - won at least 135 seats in the 290-member chamber, according to Interior Ministry figures. Reformers and self-described independents had about 65.

　　That puts conservatives on the threshold of the 146-seat benchmark to claim a majority. They also were expected to consolidate gains as the vote count progresses. The final tally may not be known until later today.

　　Another key number will be voter turnout, which appeared to range between 40 percent and 45 percent, the Interior Ministry said. More than 67 percent of voters turned out in the last parliament elections in 2000 in a pro-reform landslide.

　　(Xinhua/AP)