Let's just hope the fundamentalists don't claim Iran.
Iranian Voting ends in race too close to call (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8338115/)
TEHRAN, Iran - Polls closed Friday in Iran’s runoff presidential election after a series of extensions to handle heavy turnout in a race too close to call between a well-known moderate cleric and a hard-liner seeking to reclaim the values of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Voting ended at 11 p.m. (1830 GMT), said an Interior Ministry spokesman, Korosh Mirsaeidi. Officials pushed voting hours four hours past the scheduled close, including reversing a decision to end voting and adding a final 30 minutes.
The election pits cleric Hashemi Rafsanjani, who became the default choice for reformists, against hard-line Tehran's mayor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The runoff election capped weeks of campaigning that came down to a choice over sharply differing visions for the future of Iran and options for expanding relations with the West.
The Interior Ministry, which oversees elections in Iran, said official results would be announced by noon Saturday (0730 GMT). Partial returns are expected hours earlier.
Volvo Villa Vovve
25-06-2005, 12:02
Well they did just that sadly or good depending on that you stand. That I heard many exile iranians is happy because they have giving up beliving on the reformist way to a seculare Iran. And therefore hope the election of a hard liner will lead to a quicker regime change through a internal peacfull or violent revolt combined with more extarnal pressure. Self my opinion it is not clear because evryone agree that the situation will be wore in a shortime perspective but that will happen in a longtime perspective? There even if a more moderate regime could see as pro longing the time before the regimechange could still be a better they to get a regime chance or atleast a more peacfull and lead to a more stable Iran. Also I think many Iranians can dislike a new revolution because they know how bad it went last time.
Ravenshrike
25-06-2005, 18:41
Gotta love iranian agitprop. Heavy turnout my ass.
http://www.publiuspundit.com/?p=1260
THE IRANIANS BOYCOTTED AGAIN, TAKE NOTICE!
Last week, I wrote about how the media got the story wrong on Iran. Hopefully, they will not make the same mistakes that they made then. To help them out, I’m going to compile articles and photos that show that the Iranians once again boycotted the sham elections in huge proportions. The word has to get out to the world that the regime is completely illegitimate even in the eyes of its own people. If there was ever a time to act, it’s now! Click “more” for all the articles and photos.
And remember, if you are a journalist or from a media organization, ask the hard questions of both the Iranian government and of yourselves!
http://daneshjoo.org/publishers/currentnews/article_2653.shtml
Millions of Iranians have boycotted the sham run off elections of the Islamic regime despite the clerics’ tactic of creating fear among the population. The rejection of the regime and its totality is so massive that even the joker card of Islamic republic “AhmadiNejad” was not able to boost the quote of an already discredited Rafsnajani.
In Tehran which has over 14 millions of inhabitants, the regime had to close down several ballot boxes, installed last week, and to consolidate them in order to be able to offer a better show to foreign reporters in the Capital. Same trend has been reported from cities, such as, Tabriz, Esfahan, Mashad, Amol, Zahedan, Abadan, Ahwaz, Khorram-Abad, Mashad, Hamedan, Kermanshah and Oroomiah (former Rezai-e).
Most of the few voters are members of security forces and their families, some governmental employees, paid voters and even well recognized prostitutes transformed into pro-Rafsanjani cheerleaders and supporters.
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2586
Tehran, Iran, Jun. 24 – Hundreds of polling stations in Tehran and other towns and cities monitored were virtually empty in the early hours of voting period today during Iran’s second round presidential elections.
In Tehran, about a dozen people were seen queuing up in Geisha, Karaj Al-Mehdi Mosque, and North Amirabad polling stations.
Independent observes said, however, that a half-dozen locations in Tehran, including Hosseineh Ershad, Lorzadeh and Saddeqieh mosques had relatively high turnout.
To stage a large crowd at these selected polling stations, the authorities moved in hundreds of members of the paramilitary Bassij and Islamic vigilantes to vote in front of television cameras.
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2596
Tehran, Iran, Jun. 24 - A tour of a dozen polling centres in the western neighbourhoods of Tehran between 2 pm and 6 pm, usually a busy voting time, showed that they were mostly quiet, confirming reports from other parts of the capital that the turnout is lower than last Friday.
No more than a handful of voters were spotted at polling centres in Hejab School in Youssef-Abad district, Ebrahim School in Azadi Street, Qaem School in Behbudi Street, and Chamran School in Azadi Street.
Independent monitors in other neighbourhoods of Tehran reported a similarly low turnout. Voting centres at the Abolfazl Mosque and Motahhari Training College in Seraj Street, Imam Reza Training Centre in Zamani Street were completely deserted some five hours after the start of voting today.
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