15 June 2009

Khamenei orders election inquiry

It would seem that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reversed his earlier decree that the Iranian Presidential election result was fair(ly rigged) and has ordered an investigation into the disputed re-election of President Ahmadinejad.

Khamenei, who has the final say on such matters, had described the result as fair and urged the country to unite behind Mr Ahmadinejad. Today it emerged, however, that he had met the defeated opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi last night and ordered the powerful Guardians Council to examine his allegations of vote-rigging.

Ahmadinejad is Khamenei’s placeman so it is extremely unlikely that the result will be overturned. I somehow doubt that the Guardian Council will find any “irregularities”... After all the powers that be in Iran are hardly going to air their own dirty laundry.

6 comments:

Nevin said...

I think your last statement is true for any government in the world, of course with certain degree... :)

jams o donnell said...

Most governments are self serving but gross electoral fraud is not common in the Western world

Sean Jeating said...

The Iranian opposition claims according to their reliable sources within the interior ministry Mousavi got 19 m votes, Ahmadinejad less than 6 m.
Given that comes close to the truth it's doubtable that the official result could be prepared without Khamenei's placet.
We're living in interesting times.
Interesting, too, is that one can hear from so-call US-strategy thinktanks that they'd prefer Ahmahdinejad remaining in power, as (whatever) sanctions would be easier to launch.
Same goes obviously with the falcons in Israel.
As for electoral fraud in the Western world: Bush had become President without, hm?

jams o donnell said...

Ahmadinejad is Khamenei's placeman but perhaps Khamenei shot himelf in the foot by declaring the election so quickly.

The result shown is almost certainly an inept sham.

As for Dubya, if he stole it was even more inept.. A few votes in a state governed by his brother and validated on a split decision by Supreme Court judges, many of whom nominated by his father! Hardly the hallmarks of a coup Sean!

Sean Jeating said...

;)
Well, Jams, it depends on how we define a coup.
Anyway, I did not intend to nitpick(ing?). And: Of course, comparing one (political) situation with an other, one is always running the risk of comparing apples with pears.
Still ... I'd like what right now is happening in Iran to end like what happened in Europe in 1989 rather than what happened on the Place of Heavenly Peace.

jams o donnell said...

Agreed it's like apples and oranges isn't it.

As for the outcome I agree wholeheartedly