After holding the chairmanship of the Tehran city council for just a year, Reformists have lost the position to Mehdi Chamran, a conservative politician who held the position from 2003 until 2013.

The 31-member council votes every year for the position of chairman. In addition to working with the mayor on approving the budget and city projects for Iran’s largest city — and one of the largest in the world — the council also chooses the mayor, which has been conservative Mohammd Bagher Ghalibaf since 2005.

The 18-13 vote in favor of Chamran came as a surprise to many Reformists, who were hoping that Ahmad Masje-Jamei, a moderate Reformist, would continue in the position. The vote has led the Reformists to question their strategy and the loyalty of those who were elected to the council as members of their group.

Reformist newspaper Shargh Daily reported that the entire city council is now under the control of the conservatives, from the deputy chairman to the spokesman. According to the article, “The most optimistic conservatives could not have not imagined receiving 18 votes.”