Iran will hold the second round of its parliamentary contest on May 4. The poll is expected to weaken the position of embattled President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The first round of voting, in March, was dominated by candidates allied with Ahmadinejad’s rival, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the months since then, a prominent Ahmadinejad ally, Said Mortazavi, was summoned to an upcoming human rights hearing and some candidates allied with the president have reportedly registered as independents to avoid being barred by the Guardian Council, the powerful body that overseas elections. Both are signs of the bitter infighting between the two demagogues’ camps.
Ballot Box Watch: Your Guide to May Elections
Global Spin previews the pick of this month's exercises in democracy