Nowhere was the moderate win more evident than the capital Tehran where they won 12 of the 15 seats.

A score of women party candidates were also heading towards victory, most notable among them being President Mohammad Khatami's eldest sister, Fatameh Khatami, who has already been declared elected from Ardakan.

A moderate daily, Akhbar, said Khatami supporters were ahead in 11 of Iran's 28 provinces. In the second largest city of Mashhad too, considered a conservative fortress, they were expected to score some gains.

While the hardliners were leading in the religious city of Qom, Khatami supporters were forging ahead in Shiraz, according to the Kayhan newspaper.

Elections were a test for Khatami's liberal policies and were considered a pointer to next year's parliamentary polls.The large turnout of young and woman voters was seen as an indication to a pro-Khatami result as the president had received massive support from them during the presidential election in 1997.

Though final results are not expected before Friday, 15 million or 60 per cent of the 25 million votes polled have been counted since last night.