| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Mousavi claims victory in Iranian polls |
| 2009-06-13 |
| [Beirut Daily Star: Region] Former prime minister Mirhossein Mousavi said he was the "definite winner" in Iran's presidential election on Friday against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "I am the definite winner of this presidential election," he told a news conference in Tehran. He noted that many voters had not been able to cast their ballots even after voting was extended by four hours. But supporters of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also claimed to be leading the hotly contested race. Millions of Iranians streamed to polling stations, causing voting to be extended by four hours to 10 p.m. to allow more people to cast ballots, the Interior Ministry said. Those still queuing when the polling stations closed were allowed to stay to vote. Sadegh Kharazi, a senior backer of Mousavi, said surveys made by reformers showed that the former premier was getting about 58-60 percent of the votes. But an Ahmadinejad representative, Ali Asghar Zarei, said the incumbent was ahead with about the same level of support, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported. A victory for Mousavi might help ease tensions with the West, which is concerned about Tehran's nuclear ambitions, and improve chances of engagement with US President Barack Obama, who has talked about a new start in ties with Tehran. In Washington, Obama said his administration was excited about the debate taking place in Iran and he hoped it would help the two countries to enagage "in new ways." Long queues had formed at voting centers and officials said they expected a turnout of about 70 percent or more, approaching the record of nearly 80 percent when reformist Mohammad Khatami swept the 1997 presidential election. Some people said they had waited for over two hours to cast ballots, both in northern, affluent areas of Tehran where Mousavi draws support and in southern, poorer neighborhoods seen as Ahmadinejad strongholds. High turnout could indicate voting by many pro-reformers who stayed away when Ahmadinejad won four years ago on a pledge to revive the values of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Political analysts have said they expect a close race. The vote has generated interest around the world with policymakers looking for signs of a change of approach by Tehran, whose ties with the West worsened under Ahmadinejad. |
| Posted by:Fred |