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Ahmadinejad's supporters poured on to the streets of Tehran, honking their horns and waving Iranian flags in celebration. (Reuters) |
TEHRAN – Incumbent Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected Saturday, June 13, after winning the Islamic Republic's presidential elections by landslide.
"I am happy that my candidate has won," sandwich seller Kamra Mohammadi, 22, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"He helps the poor and he catches the thieves."
Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli said Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the vote against 33.75 percent for ex-premier Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Ahmadinejad garnered a massive 24.5 million votes against 13.2 million for Mousavi.
The former head of the Revolutionary Guards Mohsen Rezai came third with 678,240 votes or 1.73 percent, while reformist ex-parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi was last with 333,635 votes or 0.85 percent.
Some 39.1 million votes were cast on Friday, representing a turnout of 85 percent across the country.
"The president elect is the president of the entire Iranian nation and... all should support and help him," supreme leader Ali Khamenei said in a statement.
He said Friday's high voter turnout was a proof that Iran "after 30 years is immune and unwavering against political and psychological assault."
"The participation rate of 80 percent and the 24 million votes for the president-elect is a real feast which can guarantee the country's progress, national security and lasting joy," he said.
"I congratulate... the people on this massive success and urge everyone to be grateful for this divine blessing."
Dangerous Scenarios
But ex-premier Mousavi disputed the poll results
"I'm warning I will not surrender to this dangerous charade," he said in a statement made available to Reuters.
"The result of such performance by some officials will jeopardize the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny."
Mousavi, who was hoping for a political comeback on a groundswell of support among the nation's youth, had complained of a shortage of ballot papers and attacks on his campaign offices.
"People are aware and they do not bend in front of those who come to power by cheating," he said.
Following the poll results, hundreds of supporters of Ahmadinejad and Mousavi clashed in Tehra.
A Reuters witness said that police using batons moved to disperse the demonstrators who were staging a sit-in to protest against Ahmadinejad's victory.
"We are going to stay here. We are going to die here," they shouted as one woman protestor was struck on her back by policeman's baton.
"I fear they played with people's vote," another woman said.
Some Mousavi's supporters accused the authorities of underhand tactics to give Ahmadinejad a second term.
"I fear they played with people's vote," said one woman as policeman beat some protestors with batons outside Mousavi's campaign office in Tehran.
"They have ruined the country and they want to ruin it more over the next four years," shouted the irate mob.
Analysts said that Ahmadinejad's landslide victory would disappoint Western powers aiming to convince Iran to halt its nuclear program.
"It doesn't augur well for an early and peaceful settlement of the nuclear dispute," said Mark Fitzpatrick at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies.
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