While the holding of elections in Iraq this past December was an achievement in itself , the vote led to the ascendance of a Shiite bloc with close ties to Iran -LRB- following on the election of the conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran in June -RRB- .
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad /people/person/nationality Iran
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad /people/person/nationality Iran
IN DT NN IN NNS IN NNP DT JJ NNP VBD DT NN IN PRP , DT NN VBD TO DT NN IN DT JJ NN IN JJ NNS TO NNP -LRB- VBG IN DT NN IN DT JJ NNP NNP IN NN IN NNP IN NNP -RRB- .
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
PERSON
Iran
LOCATION
/people/person/nationality
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
PERSON
Iran
LOCATION
/people/person/nationality