Iranian parliamentary candidates began campaigning on Thursday, April 26, for the second round of elections set to weaken President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he grapples with worsening economic problems, Reuters reported. Candidates allied to Iran’s theocratic leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dominated the first round of elections in early March at the expense of those supporting Ahmadinejad. With more than 50 percent of seats filled by new members, the new parliament – which will convene in late May – will undergo radical change. In recent months the current parliament has given the president a tough time, mainly over his handling of the economy. Last month, he was the first president in the history of the Islamic Republic to be summoned to parliament who interrogated him over the near-stagnant, high-inflation economy.