Ahmadinejad defends election victory amid rivals' protests, Iran's supreme leader orders investigation into claims of vote fraud

Ahmadinejad defends election victory amid rival's protest

2009-06-15 01:23:51

·Ahmadinejad defended his re-election "most glorious" presidential election in Iran Sunday. ·Ahmadinejad said "Iran's election is a real and free election". ·He highlighted the increasing clout of his country and ruled out the possibility of any threat.

by Mehdi Bagheri

TEHRAN, June 14 (Xinhua) --

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended his re-election in the country's "most glorious" presidential election on Sunday, but his major challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi demanded the election result to be annulled.

"The most glorious election was held in Iran on Friday... In Iran, the people decide whom they would vote for," Ahmadinejad told a press conference on Sunday, his first since the government announced his re-election in an overwhelming victory.

In an address to thousands of his supporters in Tehran's Vali-e-Asr Square to celebrate his victory on Sunday, Ahmadinejad said "Iran's election is a real and free election" and that the "great people" of Iran chose the one whose policies they trust much.

Ahmadinejad defended his foreign policies especially his policies over the nuclear issue, saying Iran's nuclear issue belonged to the past, signaling that there would be no change in his second term.

"Iran's nuclear issue belongs to the past ... Now we want a global disarmament of nuclear weapons," he said, adding that, "We express our readiness to participate in and to manage (the issue)."

Ahmadinejad highlighted the increasing clout of his country and ruled out the possibility of any threat.

Humiliating such claims of the United States and Israel's military option on Iran's nuclear sites, he said, "these are just propaganda. No power dares to threaten Iran ... Iran will make any attacker regret it. There is no possibility that one does such a stupidity."

Asked about the arrests of some reformists and reporters after the announcement of the election result, Iran's president-elect compared the unrest on the streets by his rival camp to the riots after football matches, saying "all the people are equal before the law."

Ahmadinejad said the protests would disappear after a while, just like those angry fans wreaking following a defeated football match.

On Saturday afternoon, Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli announced that Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the total votes during Friday's vote, while former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi got 33.75 percent.

After the official declaration, Mousavi, in a statement, protested "strongly" the "obvious" violations in Iran's presidential election.

Thousands of his supporters took to the streets in Tehran on Saturday to protest against the re-election of Ahmadinejad who has secured a second term for the next four years.

At least 10 leaders and more than 160 members of Iran's reformist groups have been arrested after violent protests against the results of Friday's presidential election, local media reported Sunday.

"With the verdict issued by the judiciary, 10 organizers of the Tehran's yesterday (Saturday) incidents were arrested in their headquarters," Iran's deputy police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.

Mousavi has appealed for Iran's Guardians Council to cancel the country's June 12 presidential election result, a statement posted on his website said on Sunday.

"Today, I wrote a letter to the Guardian Council asking them to cancel the result of the recent (presidential) election," Mousavi said in the statement.

"I again emphatically advise you to continue the civil and legal opposition throughout the country peacefully and observe non-confrontation principle," Mousavi said.

"We have asked the officials for a permission of a big rally in all cities of the country so that the people could have a chance to express their opposition to the way the election was held and to its results," he added.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has urged supporters of both the winner and the defeated candidates to avoid provocative behavior.

Iran's supreme leader orders investigation into claims of vote fraud

2009-06-15 17:53:48

·Khamenei has ordered the Guardian Council to investigate claims of vote fraud. ·Khamenei also told Mousavi to pursue his appeal in a legal way. ·Ahmadinejad won 62.63% of total votes, Mousavi got 33.75% in presidential competition.

TEHRAN, June 15 (Xinhua) --

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered the Guardian Council to investigate the claims of fraud in the recent presidential election, state television reported on Monday.

Referring to the defeated reformist presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi's appeal letter for the irregularities and the cancellation of the election result, Khamenei said that "the Guardian Council has been emphasized to carry out investigation into this letter carefully."

In a meeting with Mousavi on Sunday evening, Khamenei also told the former prime minister to pursue his appeal against the election result in a legal way, the report said.

"You are different from those people (rioter protestors on the streets) and you are advised to keep manners and calmness," Khamenei said.

On Saturday afternoon, Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli announced that the incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the total votes during Friday's vote, while former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi got 33.75 percent in Iran's presidential competition.

Mousavi has appealed for Iran's Guardians Council to cancel the country's June 12 presidential election result, a statement posted on his website said on Sunday.

"Today, I wrote a letter to the Guardian Council asking them to cancel the result of the recent (presidential) election," Mousavi said in the statement.

Iran's Supreme Leader has urged supporters of both the winner and the defeated candidates to avoid provocative behavior.

Mousavi, Karroubi join "illegal" rally in Tehran

2009-06-15 20:46:07

·Mousavi and Karroubi on Monday appeared in a car at a rally in Tehran. ·Supporters of Mousavi and Karroubi were seen at Tehran's Enghelab Avenue. ·The police were calm but alert on sides of the street observing the surge of the people.

TEHRAN, June 15 (Xinhua) --

Iran's defeated presidential candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi on Monday appeared in a car at a mass rally in Tehran that has been declared "illegal" by authorities, local Press TV reported.

Tens of thousands of supporters of Mousavi and Karroubi were seen at Tehran's Enghelab Avenue marching west to the prestigious Azadi (liberty) square.

The participants clad in the green of Mousavi's campaign signature were carrying posters of him bearing the phrase of "A New Greetings to the World" and hand-written placards saying "where is my vote?" and "we are not rioters."

The backers of Mousavi were "staging a calm and peaceful demonstration," the Press TV reporter said.

The anti-riot police were calm but alert standing on the sides of the street observing the surge of the people.

Iran's police chief Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam warned on Monday that any illegal rally would be confronted in a legal way by the police, state TV reported.

Earlier, Iran's Interior Ministry said Mousavi will be held responsible for the "illegal" rally.

The remarks came following Mousavi's appeal to his supporters on his website to stage a rally on Monday to hear his words "since there is no means available for informing the people."

"The reason for such a participation is the blockage of all the canals for informing people to avoid any violation," the announcement said.

On Saturday afternoon, Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli said that the incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the total ballots during Friday's vote, while Mousavi got 33.75 percent.

After the official declaration, Mousavi protested "strongly" in a statement the "obvious" violations in Iran's presidential election.

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