WASHINGTON, Feb 23 Kyodo The Unit...

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 Kyodo

The United States forward Monday called Iran's parliamentary election Friday a ''setback'' for the country's democratization instigates and said it will continue to beg Tehran to promote political reform.

''Our view is that the compressing for reform in Iran, the constraining force for democracy in Iran is going to continue, notwithstanding the setback that's portrayed by the elections,'' State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters.

''I think we made clear our affects about an election that was shaping up to be entirely flawed in the run-up to the elections, and it revolveed out that way,'' Boucher said. ''It was not an electoral proces that met international standards.''

Initial proceeds from the parliamentary election point out to conservative religious hard-liners are poised for a sweeping victory.

Conservatives ran virtually unopposed in the election after the hard-line Guardian Council disqualified thousands of reformist candidates. about pro-reform groups had called for a boycott of the poll

The Guardian Council, comprising six Islamic clerics and six legal scholars hand-picked by the agency of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, evaluates all candidates for parliament, president and other culled posts. It has authority to veto any legislation.

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