[Reader-list] Iran : Over 100% voted in 50 cities

[Pawan Durani]

An interesting story . Also i noticed that an Urdu newspaper in Mumbai
kind of writing against the protest in Iran and having a full page
color poster of Ahmadinejad. I was wondering what does Ahmadinejad do
to deserve a poster in an Indian newspaper . Is it because Ahmadinejad
is considered to be anti- US ? A non moderate muslim ? And why has an
Urdu newspaper done this .......does it have to do with the mindset of
readership.... ?......Just curious



http://www.presstv.ir/detail/98711.htm?sectionid=351020101

Iran's Guardian Council has suggested that the number of votes
collected in 50 cities surpass the number of people eligible to cast
ballot in those areas.

The council's Spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, who was speaking on the
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Channel 2 on Sunday, made
the remarks in response to complaints filed by Mohsen Rezaei -- a
defeated candidate in the June 12 Presidential election.

"Statistics provided by the candidates, who claim more than 100% of
those eligible have cast their ballot in 80-170 cities are not
accurate -- the incident has happened in only 50 cities," Kadkhodaei
said.

Kadkhodaei further explained that the voter turnout of above 100% in
some cities is a normal phenomenon because there is no legal
limitation for people to vote for the presidential elections in
another city or province to which people often travel or commute.

According to the Guardian Council spokesman, summering areas and
places like district one and three in Tehran are not separable.

The spokesman, however, said that the vote tally affected by such
issues could be over 3 million and would not noticably affect the
outcome of the election.

He, however, added that the council could, at the request of the
candidates, re-count the affected ballot boxes, and determine "
whether the possible change in the tally is decisive in the election
results," reported Khabaronline.

Three of the four candidates contesting in last Friday's presidential
election cried foul, once the Interior Ministry announced the results
- according to which incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was
declared the winner with almost two-thirds of the vote.

Rezaei, along with Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, reported
more than 646 'irregularities' in the electoral process and submitted
their complaints to the body responsible for overseeing the election
-- the Guardian Council.

Mousavi and Karroubi have called on the council to nullify Friday's
vote and hold the election anew. This is while President Ahmadinejad
and his Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli have rejected any possibility
of fraud, saying that the election was free and fair.