Iran's reformers hope playing by the rules will help them make inroads in Friday's election

Iranians pushing for change in their country attended election ralliesand cheered on their candidates this weekin what resembled theboisterous and flag-waving campaigns that make up modern-daydemocracies.

But democracy in Iran, of course, is different.Iran might have elections, but the country is controlled by an all-powerful Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah, who's in charge of a systemdominated by ultra-conservative, anti-Western hardliners whovigorously fight any attempt at reform.

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The country's powerful Guardian Council, dominated byhardliners,barred thousands of reformist candidates from running in Friday'selections for theMajlis, Iran'sparliament,and the Assembly of Experts, apowerful advisorybody.

That includesbetter-known politicians such as the popular former reformist president Mohammed Khatami, whois barred from running and faces restrictions on his movements. Iran'smedia is prohibited from publishing his picture or mentioning hisname.

Still, reformers see this election as a chance to build the movementand at the same time decrease the power of Iran's hardliners, whooppose stronger relations with Western nations, particularly the UnitedStates.

"Reformists from all different parties have put aside their differencesafter many years to agree on a joint list of candidates in anunprecedented form of coalition aimed at blocking hardliners fromentering the parliament," reformist political activist MohammedrezaJalapipour told the Guardiannewspaper

Reformers holding back

It seems the reform movement is taking a more careful, evenreserved run at Friday's electionsto avoid the crushing response thatwas seen after elections in 2009. Reformists did well, but themovement was silenced by the Iranian authorities after millions of people tookto the streets to protestwhat they saw as rigged results.

After what became known as the Green Revolution, reformist partieswere shut down, and many political activists, journalists and politicianswere jailed.

"There's a critical contrast between how the reformists acted in2009 and how the reformist camp is acting today," said Fawaz Gerges,professor of international relations at the London School of Economicsand Political Science.

"The reformist camp has learned important lessons from 2009. They're playing by the rules of the game;they're trying to basically come across as an integral part of thesystem."

At a recent reformist campaign rally, that shift in tone was clear. "Weact within the system," said Mohammed Reza Aref, a former vice-president who has emerged as the new leader of the reformmovement. "Nobody loves the [Islamic] revolution more than us. Like a mother,we feel concern for it and want to preserve it.''

Post-nuclear deal changes slow in coming

The election of the "reform-minded"Hassan Rouhani as president in2013 raised expectations that real change in Iran was just around thecorner.

Rouhani's crowning achievement has been the negotiation andimplementation of an agreement that limits Iran's nuclear programinexchange for the relief of sanctions that have crippled the country'seconomy.

It's only been six weeks since the nuclear deal came into force, butsome Iranians say the Rouhani government needs to act more quicklyto create jobs and restore financial links with the rest of the world.

"There are lots of educated people who are unemployed," said Seyd, astudent in Iran. "In my opinion, people are tired and fed up withpolitics."

Much of that disappointment stems from the expectation that Rouhaniwould usher in a host of changes, from advancing the rights ofwomen to improving Iran's human rights record.

His critics say there has been no reform whatsoever under hisleadershipwhile his conservative opponents now use his chiefsuccess, the nuclear agreement, to argue against future reforms.

I don't thinkanyone expects them to deliver on any ambitious agenda.- FawazGerges,London School of Economicsand Political Science

"Witness that the government is moving towards a capitalist system,which means that the poor will become poorer, and poverty willbecome more widespread," said Fatemeh Alia, a conservative memberof parliament who is running for re-election.

More than 6,200 candidates are vying for a spot in Iran's 290-seatMajlis including about 600 women. The final list of candidates wasapproved by Iran's interior ministry last week.

Iran's reformers are hoping for a good result when the votes arecounted, but the amount of change the movement can bring will be limited,saysGerges.

"Even if the reformists win a comfortable majority, I don't thinkanyone expects them to deliver on any ambitious agenda," hesaid. "I think the expectations are very low now."