Tensions build in Teheran, Pro-Moussavi demonstrations

Moussavi's supporters claim election fraud adding that last Moussavi made a personal visit to Khamenei to ask him to cancel the election results.

TEHERAN (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Another day of protest has been announced today in the capital following two days of clashes with the police after the Supreme Leader announced the unilateral election victory of Mahmud Ahmadinejad. The past two days have been marked by arrests and a clamp down on journalists, satellite TV stations and internet.

Hossein Mussavi, the apparently defeated challenger, has called for a mass rally this afternoon in the Enghelab (Revolution) Square and he has urged people to rally across 20 other cities. His group has also invited his supporters to shout from the roof tops "Allah is great", a slogan that gave birth to the Khomeni revolution of 1979.

According to the Ministry for Internal Affairs election results gave victory to Ahmadinejad with 62.6% of votes; Moussavi only claimed 33.8%; few to Mohsen Rezai (1.7) and Mehdi Kharroubi (0.9).

Moussavi's supporters claim election fraud adding that last Moussavi made a personal visit to Khamenei to ask him to cancel the election results. Analysts are stupefied by the outcome given that in the final weeks leading up to the vote support for Ahmadinejad was on the downturn while it was on the up for the moderate Moussavi, helped along by his wife who had the support of the female electorate and many young people.

Doubts surround the fact that Moussavi apparently lost also in the areas of Teheran where he had strong support and even among Azeri's, the ethnic group to which he belongs. Moreover, suspicions that the result was "orchestrated" are also supported by the fact that Khamenei confirmed Ahmadinejad's election win even before the official results were published. These results were only communicated in percentages and in record time, not according to the vote count.

Over the past two days groups of protesters have gathered around the University Campus in Teheran and along the streets of the capital shouting slogans in favour of Moussavi, and "down with dictatorship" throwing stones at riot police. These are the first demonstrations of dissent and clashes to take place in 10 years. At least 170 have been arrested. Among them there are also moderate politicians who served under the moderate Khatami. There are rumours that Moussavi himself is under house arrest.

Foreign media have also been targeted. Some journalists have been stopped and their film of protests taken by police. The Al Arabiya office was closed down for the week and satellite broadcasts (such as those of the BBC) were blocked; internet access is limited and erratic. Satellite phones also are being interfered with and opposition websites shut down.

Witness the Words of Jesus Come to Life

Yesterday Ahmadinejad defended his victory in front of an ocean of people; "Elections in Iran are the cleanest," he said. "Today, we should appreciate the great triumph of the people of Iran against the unified front of all the world arrogance [the West] and the psychological war launched by the enemy". He clarified that the protesters are not true Iranians: "They belong to the west. They belong to Bush. We are against Bush".

Doubts about the election results have been expressed by the USA, Germany and France. Congratulations on the president's re-election instead have arrived from Iraq, Afghanistan and Venezuela.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'