Iranian Elections: Ahmedinejad's Victory and The Aftermath!

[Ab-Titchaz]

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A female supporter holding a poster of reformist candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi gestures to passing motorists, while at left, fellow supporters are seen reflected in a car door mirror on Valiasr Street in downtown Tehran on Monday, June 8, 2009 ​

TEHRAN, Iran - Supporters of Iran's main pro-reform presidential candidate formed a human chain that stretched nearly the entire length of Tehran on Monday in their biggest display of political might _ sending a powerful challenge to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's backers as both sides poured into the streets in the final days of the race.

The showdown atmosphere reflects the increasingly bitter tone between Ahmadinejad and his main rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi, in the campaign blitz before Friday's vote. Both have traded recriminations and engaged in mudslinging as intense as any bare-knuckle American campaign and _ in the process _ have turned the election into a display of Iran's deep political divides.

Ahmadinejad's supporters applaud his firebrand style that include questions over the Holocaust and his uncompromising defense of Iran's nuclear program. Mousavi's backers _ including many young voters _ believe Iran's international standing is being undermined and a more flexible approach is needed with critical issues at stake such as possible talks with Washington.

In the battle for campaign images, Mousavi's forces mobilized a stunning scene: a rally that stretched nearly the entire 12-mile (19-kilometer) length of Vali Asr _ a famous avenue that bisects Tehran from the conservative strongholds in the older flatland neighborhoods to the south from the liberal-minded bastions on the slopes of the Alborz mountain range in the north.

The road _ shaded in many places by towering plane trees _ was turned into a river of green by Mousavi supporters carrying banners, head scarfs, ribbons and anything else in the campaign's trademark color.

"This is a message to all of Tehran's population," said Sharan Kjarimi, 32, an industrial engineer who joined the rally.

One man fashioned a sign copying an Iranian newspaper front page the day the Western-back shah left the country with the 1979 Islamic Revolution poised for victory. But the headline was changed: "Ahmadinejad has left."
Others chanted "Ahmadini bye-bye" and "If they don't cheat, Mousavi will win."

Mousavi addressed the crowd from southern tail of the rally: "We've gathered here because people are tired of lies ... the human chain is a symbolic rejection of lies being said to the people."

But Ahmadinejad's bloc staged its own show of unity, using Iran's flag as their banner and patriotism as their cry.At one point, Ahmadinejad's supporters and Mousavi loyalists faced off with each side shouting slogans and waving their respective flags.Tens of thousands of Ahmadinejad backers gathered at Tehran's largest prayer hall _ joining in a mass denunciation of Mousavi, United States and Israel. The government spokesman, Gholam Hossein Elha, claimed Ahmadinejad tried to make his way through the crowd for a speech but it was too vast.

Ali Rezae, a supporter of the president, praised him for fighting on behalf of Iran's interests.
"He won our national dignity in international arenas," said Rezae.
There are no credible political polls in Iran, but both campaigns predict what a very tight race.

The head of Iran's election board, Kamran Daneshjoo, also said the voter turnout could surpass the 79.93 percent in 1997 when reformist Mohammad Khatami came to power.

The reformists are counting on a large turnout _ particularly from young voters _ to overcome Ahmadinejad's core support from working-class families and the powerful Revolutionary Guard, which has the power to control millions of votes through its nationwide volunteer corps.

The tone of the campaign has become increasingly sharp as each side looks to gain any advantage.On Monday, reformists launched their latest barrage: distributing a video of Ahmadinejad claiming a "light" surrounded him during a U.N. address in 2005.

In the clip, sent out e-mail and on CDs, Ahmadinejad tells a top cleric, Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, that a "light" enveloped him during his address to the U.N. General Assemblyand that the crowd stared without blinking during the entire speech.

"A member of the (Iranian) delegation told me, 'I saw a light that surrounded you,'" Ahmadinejad said. "I sensed it myself too ... I felt the atmosphere changed. All leaders in audience didn't blink for 27, 28 minutes. I'm not exaggerating when I'm saying they didn't blink.

Everybody had been astonished ... they had opened their eyes and ears to see what is the message from the Islamic Republic."The clip was released after Ahmadinejad on Saturday denied making the comment.

Mousavi accused Ahmadinejad of being "superstitious" and "brazenly staring at the camera and telling lies to the nation."

On Saturday, Ahmadinejad said inflation stood at 15 percent, but Mousavi showed a report released by the Central Bank of Iran indicating it stood at 25 percent.

"Why do we lie to people? Why do we give people wrong information? Is this to the country's benefit? Is gaining the presidential chair worth lying to people this blatantly?" Mousavi said on Sunday.

Reformists, who promise to ease social and political restrictions at home and seek better ties with the West, appear to be gaining ground on Ahmadinejad, who has become increasingly unpopular because of Iran's economic woes. Critics also say he has needlessly enflamed world anger at Iran with his statements calling U.N. resolutions "worthless papers" and casting doubt on the Holocaust.
There are two other candidates in the race. Former Parliament Speaker Mahdi Karroubi, who is considered a moderate, could siphon some votes from Mousavi. Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guard, threatens to undercut Ahmadinejad's conservative base.

Ahmadinejad's comments also have become the source of political satire that takes aim at his pious reputation among his supporters.
"Have you seen a halo in your addresses?" former vice president, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, asked Karroubi during a documentary shown on state TV last week.

"Only certain people can see that. I don't have this spiritual status," Karroubi replied.

Iran's 'Macaca' Moment? Ahmadinejad's Rivals Circulate Video Highlighting His Bizarre "Light" Claim

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Ahmadinejad tells a top cleric, Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, that a "light" enveloped him during his address to the U.N. General Assemblyand that the crowd stared without blinking during the entire speech.

This is very funny jamani.Hata kama ni kampeni sometimes watu
wanazidi kwa longolongo yao.

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Mahmoud Ahmedinajad

Hossein Mousavi's supporters

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[Kuntakinte]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad atakuwa kidume tuuuu

 

[kui]

This is very funny jamani.Hata kama ni kampeni sometimes watu
wanazidi kwa longolongo yao.

Soo funny!, lol!,

Maji yamemfika shingoni mpaka anachanganyikiwa sasa...

 

[Chapakazi]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad atakuwa kidume tuuuu

Unadhani wenzako wanaiba kura?...hahaha! Inanishangaza sana watu wengi wanadhani Iran iko level moja na nchi za Afrika katika siasi. Hii inatokana na propaganda inayoshushwa na Marekani na vyombo vya habari vya serikali za magharibi. Msikae hata siku moja mkadhani Iran iko sawa na nchi yeyote Africa....KAMWE!!!

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

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Hossein Mousavi​

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Iran - Iran's hard-line president took a final shot at his rivals Wednesday during his last public pre-election rally, accusing them of resorting to a smear campaign against him similar to the one used by Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is locked in a neck-and-neck race against reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi. Both have launched intense political attacks against each other and have turned the presidential election into a display of Iran's deep political divides.

Heightening the tension before the race, a top official of Iran's hard-line elite Revolutionary Guards accused Ahmadinejad's reformist opponents of seeking to launch a "velvet revolution" -- alluding to the 1989 ouster of the Communist government of then-Czechoslovakia -- and vowing to crush any such attempts.

Yadollah Javani said, in remarks published Wednesday on a Guards' Web site, that reformists plan to claim vote rigging should their candidate lose in Friday's vote and provoke street violence. He said the group is ready to deal with any possible post-election violence and crush opponents. Ahmadinejad is believed to have the support of some elements of the Revolutionary Guards.

The Iranian president and his main pro-reform opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi, have accused each other using Hitler-like propaganda tactics in order to win on Friday. But the president's harsh allegations against his rivals, including Mousavi, during Wednesday's rally indicated that the mudslinging between the candidates was not slowing down.

"They applied the methods of (Josef) Goebbels, propaganda minister of Hitler," Ahmadinejad told thousands of Iranian-flag waving supporters. "They used this method of psychological war against our nation."
Ten of thousands of supporters jammed a Tehran street with cries of "Mousavi is a liar" and "Mousavi bye-bye" -- a take on the "Ahamdi bye-bye" that's become a staple of opposition rallies. Women in long black robes, known as chadors, wore Iranian flags tied around their necks or underneath their head covering.

The outcome will have little direct impact on Iran's key policies -- such as its nuclear program or possible acceptance of Washington's offer for dialogue -- which are directly dictated by the ruling Islamic clerics. But Ahmadinejad has become a highly polarizing figure on the international stage with comments that include questioning the Holocaust and calling for Israel's demise.

A change of government could ease Iran's isolation and give Washington and others a freer hand to build ties with Tehran and engage in negotiations over Iran's nuclear ambitions. The United States and others fear Iran could eventually seek nuclear weapons, but Iranian officials say the country only seeks peaceful reactors for electricity.

In western Tehran, supporters of the president flocked to Azadi St. -- or Freedom St. -- to catch a glimpse of him and hear one of his final speeches before heading to the polls on Friday. No public campaigning is allowed the day before the vote.

Hundreds of women draped Iranian flags around their necks and several young men painted their faces in the red, white and green colors of the flag -- Ahmadinejad's campaign symbol. About a dozen men stood on a nearby rooftop as Ahmadinejad spoke, frantically waving large Iranian flags in the air.

Mousavi has made Iran's struggling economy a hallmark of his campaign, accusing Ahmadinejad of manipulating statistics that hide the extent of the nation's fiscal problems despite its vast oil and gas reserves.
Earlier this week, Ahmadinejad insisted that inflation stood at 15 percent -- lower than the 25 percent widely reported by financial officials. On Tuesday, Ahmadinejad admitted that inflation was 25 percent.
But he also accused Mousavi of lying about the state of the economy.
"With the grace of God, the Iranian nation will send them to the bottom of history," he said.

Two other candidates are in the race: former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei and former parliament speaker Mahdi Karroubi. In the increasingly tight race, their level of support could play a swing role -- with Rezaei expected to draw conservative voters and Karroubi pulling in moderates.

Many of Ahmadinejad's supporters said they would vote for him because he fights for the common man and champions Islam -- images promoted in his campaign propaganda. Several of the posters handed out at the rally showed him praying, having dinner with a rural family and comforting an elderly man.

"He's very brave and a real Muslim. He says what is right and he doesn't get frightened by anyone," said supporter Mariam Nouri, 38, who had a red, white and green ribbon tied on her wrist.

Mousavi's backers have also been flocking to the streets in recent days to show their support, and a few wearing green wristbands -- Mousavi's campaign color -- gathered around the fringes of Ahmadinejad's rally.
Thousands of Mousavi supporters, many of them young people, packed into nearby Freedom Square later Wednesday for a rally. Security was tight at the demonstration with riot police surrounding the square and a police helicopter flying overhead.

Mousavi did not attend that rally, but made a final campaign foray into Ahmadinejad's provincial strongholds. Thousands greeted him at a university in Loristan, southwest of Tehran, and crowds gathered to hug him at another town in that province.

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

female supporter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad displays her hand painted with the Iranian flag, also used as a sign for his party, at his final election campaign rally, on Azadi street in western Tehran, Iran.

A wheelchair-bound supporter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is lifted above the crowd at his final election campaign rally

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[Ab-Titchaz]

A supporter of main challenger and reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi shouts from the crowd amidst a festive atmosphere at an election rally.​

Supporters of reformist candidate for the Iranian presidential elections Mir Hossein Mousavi chant slogans to support their candidate during the final rally on Azadi, freedom, square in west Tehran

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Reformist Iranian presidential candidate, Mahdi Karroubi, center, is greeted by his supporters, as he arrives at a campaign gathering in Tehran, Iran

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[Ab-Titchaz]

Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks to the people as he shows a bushel of wheat donated by one of his supporters during the final rally in west Tehran​

A supporter of hard line Iranian president Ahmadinejad holds his picture during a rally in Tehran​

 

[Mzizi wa Mbuyu]

Mimi ilinifurahisha ile ya wa iran kuchukia bwana Hossein Mousavi kupanda na mkewe jukwaani wakati wa kampeni! Eti watu wengi tu wamechukizwa na kitendo kile!! Mh, siasa za wenzetu Waarabu nazo zina mambo!

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Hundreds of voters were standing outside one of the biggest polling stations in uptown Tehran, an indication of a high voter turnout in the early hours of the presidential election in Iran.

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[Ab-Titchaz]

Surrounded by his bodyguards, Iran's President Ahmadinejad greets his supporters before casting his ballot in the Presidential elections in Tehran.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei casts his ballot for the presidential elections in Tehran, Iran. Per tradition, he places his ballot in a white box minutes after the vote opens.

Zahra Rahnavard, the wife of leading challenger and reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, right, holds her hands up as she prepares to vote with her husband in the Iranian presidential elections at the Ershad mosque



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[Ab-Titchaz]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces defeat if election not rigged, say Iranian experts



Iranians go to the polls today to elect a president after an acrimonious and volatile election campaign that has polarised the country and unleashed mass opposition to the hardline Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.


In the absence of reliable independent opinion polls, experts predicted yesterday that Mir Hossein Mousavi, the moderate "green" candidate, would probably beat the controversial incumbent so long as the result was not rigged.


Saeed Lalyaz, a respected political commentator, said he believed Mousavi now commanded the support of 55-60% across the country and warned of a possible crackdown on the opposition if Ahmadinejad were re-elected.
"I worry about the impact of any announcement that Ahmadinejad wins in the first round," said Lalyaz. "Whoever wins, these people on the streets will not go home easily. If Ahmadinejad is president for a second time I worry about another Tiananmen Square experience."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/audio/2009/jun/12/iran-president-election-ahmedinajad-mousavi Ominously, as three weeks of often passionate campaigning drew to a close, the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRG) warned that any attempt at a popular "revolution" would be crushed.


Underlining the unprecedented scale of public interest in the election, it was reported that more than 10m text messages had been sent on Tuesday alone, apparently reflecting intense efforts to get the vote out and avoid the risk of mass abstentions.


The regime is also encouraging mass participation. "The people of Iran will choose someone who will resist the bullying of those who are arrogant and defend Iran's interest in the world," said a statement from the Basij militia.


The candidate who takes more than 50% becomes president automatically. If none does tomorrow, a second run-off round will be held next Friday. Two other candidates, reformist cleric Mehdi Karoubi and Mohsen Rezaei, another conservative, would drop out if that happened.


Ahmadinejad was reportedly losing support to Rezaei, a former IRG commander, and elements of the military were said to be backing Mousavi, who has pledged to increase personal freedoms. A victory for the former prime minister could improve relations with the west, though big policy changes are unlikely.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/11/iran-president-election-mahmoud-ahmadinejad

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Massive Turnout:Voting Time Extended.

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranians packed polling stations from boutique-lined streets in north Tehran to conservative bastions in the countryside Friday with a choice that's left the nation divided and on edge: keeping hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in power or electing a reformist who favors greater freedoms and improved ties with the United States.

Crowds formed quickly at many voting sites in areas considered both strongholds for Ahmadinejad and his main rival, reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi, who served as prime minister in the 1980s and has become the surprise hero of a powerful youth-driven movement. At several polling stations in Tehran, mothers held their young children in their arms as they waited in long lines.


"I hope to defeat Ahmadinejad today," said Mahnaz Mottaghi, 23, after casting her ballot at a mosque in central Tehran.

Outside the same polling station, 29-year-old Abbas Rezai said he, his wife and his sister-in-law all voted for Ahmadinejad.

"We will have him as a president for another term, for sure," he said.

The fiery, monthlong campaign unleashed passions that could bring a record turnout. The mass rallies, polished campaign slogans, savvy Internet outreach and televised debates more closely resembled Western elections than the scripted campaigns in most other Middle Eastern countries.


In a sign of the bitterness from the campaign, the Interior Ministry _ which oversees voting _ said all rallies or political gatherings would be banned until after results are announced, which are expected Saturday.


The outcome will not sharply alter Iran's main policies or sway high-level decisions, such as possible talks with Washington. Those crucial policies are all directly controlled by the ruling clerics headed by the unelected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

But Mousavi has offered hopes of more freedoms at home. If elected, he could try to end crackdowns on liberal media and bloggers and push for Iran to embrace President Barack Obama's offer of dialogue after a nearly 30-year diplomatic freeze. He favors talks with world powers over Iran's nuclear program, which the United States and others fear is aimed at making weapons. Iran says it only seeks reactors for electricity.

Iranians around the world also took part in the vote. In Dubai, home to an estimated 200,000 Iranians, the streets around the polling station at the Iranian consulate were jammed with voters overwhelmingly favoring Mousavi.

"He is our Obama," said Maliki Zadehamid, a 39-year-old exporter.

With the race considered too close to call, a top election official predicted turnout could surpass the nearly 80 percent in the election 12 years ago that brought President Mohammad Khatami to power and began the pro-reform movement. A strong turnout could boost Mousavi. He is counting on under-30s, who account for about a third of Iran's 46.2 million eligible voters.
Even before the vote was over, Khatami predicted Mousavi will emerge the winner. "All indications suggest that Mousavi has won," Khatami told reporters.
In Tehran's affluent northern districts _ strongly backing Mousavi _ voters waited for up to an hour to cast ballots. Mahdi Hosseini, a university student, blasted the firebrand Ahmadinejad for "degrading Iran's image in the eyes of the world."
Ahmadinejad brought international condemnation by repeatedly questioning the Holocaust.
In the conservative city of Qom, home to seminaries and shrines, hundreds of clerics and women dressed in long black robes waited to vote in a long line outside a mosque. Ahmadinejad's campaign has heavily courted his base of working-class families and tradition-minded voters with promises of more government aid and resistance to Western pressures over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Mousavi's rallies in Tehran drew tens of thousands of cheering supporters, who later spent their nights shouting anti-Ahmadinejad slogans and dancing to Persian pop songs on the streets.
The highly charged atmosphere brought blistering recriminations against Ahmadinejad _ whom Mousavi said was moving Iran to a "dictatorship" _ and a stunning warning from the ruling establishment. The political chief of the powerful Revolutionary Guard warned Wednesday it would crush any "revolution" against the Islamic system by Mousavi's "green movement" _ the signature color of his campaign.
Mousavi hammered Ahmadinejad for mismanaging the economy, burdened by double-digit inflation and chronic unemployment despite vast oil and gas riches.
For the first time in Iran, the forces of the Web were fully harnessed in an election showdown. That catapulted Mousavi, a 67-year-old former prime minister from the 1980s, into a political star.
On Friday, dozens of Iranians using Twitter posted messages including one that proclaimed: "For Iran, this is the Day of Decision."
Another tweet: "Keep my fingers crossed for green wave to win."
Mousavi's stunning rise also has been helped by his popular and charismatic wife, former university dean Zahra Rahnavard, and their joint calls for more rights and political clout for women. Iranian women work in nearly all levels of society _ including as parliament members. But they face legal restrictions on issues such as inheritance and court testimony, where their say is considered only half as credible as a man's.
In a possible complication for Mousavi's backers, Iran's mobile phone text messaging system was down. Many Iranians, especially young voters, frequently use text messages to spread election information quickly to friends and family.
"Unfortunately, some of my representatives were blocked from entering polling stations and SMS (text messaging) is also down, which is against the law," Mousavi said after voting, according to his campaign Web site. "We should not be fearful about the free flow of information, and I urge officials to observe the law."
Telecommunication Ministry spokesman Davood Zareian confirmed to The Associated Press that the text message system has been down since late Wednesday.
"We are investigating," he said.
Iran's elections are considered generally fair, but the country does not allow international monitors. The ruling clerics, however, put their stamp on the elections from the very beginning by deciding who can run. More than 470 people sought to join the presidential race, but only Ahmadinejad and three rivals were cleared.
During the 2005 election, there were some allegations of vote rigging from losers, but the claims were never investigated.
There were no reports of unrest or claims of serious problems as the vote got under way. Some reformist Web sites complained that Ahmadinejad supporters were allowed to campaign near polling stations in violation of rules.
After casting his vote in the white ballot box, the Supreme Leader Khamenei urged Iranians to remain calm.
"As far as I see and hear, passion and motivation is very high among people," Khamenei told reporters. "If some intend to create tension, this will harm people," he added.
After voting at a mosque on Friday in eastern Tehran, Ahmadinejad commented on the high turnout.
Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli said reports to election officials indicate an "unprecedented turnout will be recorded in the country's election history," according to the official IRNA news agency.
Mousavi voted with his wife at a mosque in Tehran's southern outskirts.
In the southern city of Shiraz, people waited for hours with temperatures nudging 100 degrees (37 C). About 500 people stood in line to vote at the Shahchragh shrine, the burial site of a Shiite saint.
In the southeastern city of Zahedan _ where a bomb blamed on Sunni militants killed at least 25 people at a Shiite mosque last month _ there were no reports of tensions. The bombed mosque was used as a polling station.
The race will go to a runoff on June 19 if no candidate receives a simple majority of more than 50 percent of the votes cast. Much depends on how many votes are siphoned off by the two other candidates: conservative former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei and moderate formerhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/12/irans-presidential-electi_n_214657.html# Parliament Speaker, Mahdi Karroubi.

Brian Murphy reported from Cairo.
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[X-PASTER]

Nadhani tuna la kujifunza kutoka kwa hawa jamaa.

 

[X-PASTER]

Mimi ilinifurahisha ile ya wa iran kuchukia bwana Hossein Mousavi kupanda na mkewe jukwaani wakati wa kampeni! Eti watu wengi tu wamechukizwa na kitendo kile!! Mh, siasa za wenzetu Waarabu nazo zina mambo!

Wairan si Waarabu, ni Waajemi, Persian. Gonga hapa: [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran"]Persians[/ame]

 

[kui]

BREAKING NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWZ

Ahmadinejad Kashinda! (msonyo)