TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's official news agency says parliamentary elections have been set for next March. The report Sunday by IRNA quotes Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar as saying the voting will take place March 2, 2012.

Plans for the election could be a springboard for protests by Iran's opposition after facing a relentless crackdown since unrest following the disputed 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

But it also may be a test of strength for Ahmadinejad, who has been challenged by the current parliament. The last parliamentary election was in 2008 when conservatives won a majority of seats in the 275-seat chamber. (AP)