Posted on 06/20/2005 7:38:05 PM PDT by DoctorZIn
Top News Story
The coming coup
Iranian blogger, Hoder.com:
Things are really getting nasty here. After Karrubi's unbelievably blunt letter to the Supreme Leader, everything is suddenly changing. All non-fundamentalists are rallying behind Rafsanjani. Many are talking about a possible coup by Sepah and Basij after Friday's second round results.Hoder is perhaps the most famous Iranian blogger. He is an Iranian journalist whose newspaper was shutdown by the regime. He moved to Canada, began blogging and has been a supporter of the reformist movement. He is currently in Iran to witness the vote. He provides a glimpse into the reformist mind in Iran.
It's also rumoured (now confirmed ) that Eqbal and Aftab, pro-reform newspapers, were seizes in the printing house last night after they published full text of the letter.
Karrubi for the first time has publically challenged the Supreme Leader and has accused his son of paving the way for an unexpectedly high vote for Ahmadinejad.
As for my own self, I've been advised to stay in Tehran for a couple of more days. But I have to attend a conference in London on Wednesday and if I can't get there by then, it'll be a huge risk staying in Iran.
Stay tuned.
He is also reported:According to ISNA , Saeed Mortazavi, chief prosecutor of Tehran, has released a warning for people who use SMS to spread news, views, and jokes for or against candidates, usually against the fundamentalist candidate, "Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad":Those who don't comply "will be prosecuted and their phones will be seized," the note reads.
- Iran Focus reported that members of Iran's hard-line paramilitary Bassij forces attacked campaigners for Rafsanjani.
- Iran Focus reported that some 1,000 copper workers staged a hunger strike.
- Iran va Jahan laments the fact that although the vote rigging allegations in the first round of the elections in Iran are the most blatant, the world media is silent.
- The Wall Street Journal said that the most astonishing aspect of Friday's presidential vote in Iran is that Tehran managed to convince so many in the West that this is a real demonstration of democracy.
- Michael Ledeen's sources inside Iran's Interior Ministry put the actual number of voters was roughly seven million people. This means 17 million votes were fraudulent.
- Adnkronos International reported that following charges of vote rigging Iran's powerful Guardian Council decided to recount part of the votes. Yahoo News also.
- The New York Times reported Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as saying, Throughout the Middle East the fear of free of choices can no longer justify the denial of liberty. It is time to abandon the excuses that are made to avoid the hard work of democracy.
- Iran Focus reported that Irans former Parliament Speaker and presidential hopeful Mehdi Karroubi resignedhis membership of the powerful State Expediency Council and stepped down as an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in protest against rigging of the polls.
- ABC News reported Noble Prize winner Shirin Ebadi as saying stoning is still occurring in Iran and regarding the election, the result is not a true reflection of the will of the people.
- And finally, Kenneth R. Timmerman's publisher Crown Forum released an excerpt of his new book, Countdown to Crisis: The Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iran, Chapter 1: THE DEFECTOR. (Iran's involvement in 9/11). A must read.
"many people resent the alleged opulence of Mr Rafsanjani and his family"
Yes they do. But I don't believe resentment of his wealth is enough of a deterrent to give them the desire to vote for a return to the last century as far as women's rights, and other social mores.
(btw - I think the unemployment rate is much worse than 12%)
"We have different opinions on this,"
Yes, we do. ;~ )
Another poll
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/mediamonitor/article_1019314.php/Agency_poll_puts_Ahmadinezhad_ahead_in_Iran_election_runoff
Agency poll puts Ahmadinezhad ahead in Iran election runoff
Jun 22, 2005, 15:10 GMT
Text of report by Iranian Fars News Agency web site
The results of a poll conducted by Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) on 21 June was announced today - at 1430 local time [1000 gmt] - in provinces of Tehran, Zanjan, Central, Ardabil, Kordestan, Hamedan, Esfahan, Gilan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyerahmad, Khorasan Razavi, West Azarbaijan and Chaharmahal va Bakhtiyari.
From 3,435 people who were contacted in these 12 provinces, 1,500 said they would vote for Mahmud Ahmadinezhad (45 per cent) while 1,302 said they would cast their ballots for Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani (39.15 per cent) - putting the Ahmadinezhad ahead in the race. Some 633 voters (12.9 per cent) in these provinces are still undecided.
The report says that 62.6 per cent of those who participated in this poll said that they would definitely take part in the election. Another 11.4 per cent said that they might vote on Friday [24 June].
The poll indicates that Ahmadinezhad is ahead in provinces of Esfahan, Ardabil, Zanjan, Central, Khorasan, Chaharmahal va Bakhtiyari, Kohkiluyeh va Buyerahmad, West Azarbaijan and Hamedan. And Rafsanjani is ahead in provinces of Kordestan, Gilan and Tehran.
Source: Fars News Agency web site, Tehran, in Persian 1330 gmt 22 Jun 05
I was wrong, TSE is not trading tomorrow thursday. Today
the main section was up, this implies that Rafsanjani will win, (but the simple average fell, so...)
http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-237/0506221130192438.htm
Wednesday's close at Tehran Stock Exchange
Tehran, June 22, IRNA
Iran-Stock Exchange
More than 65,037,000 shares, worth rls 314.076 billion, were traded at the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) on Wednesday.
On the TSE, the gainers outnumbered the gainers 81 to 56, while 12 stockbroker companies were in a state of no-loss-no-gain.
The 413-issue benchmark broader topix index, the key barometer of all indices, rose on Wednesday's close by 71.6 points to 12,495 points compared to the Tuesday's close.
The index for the main section listings went up by 77.5 points to 12,428 points, that for the second section listings by 37.5 points to 11,484 points, that for the industry index by 43.4 points to 9,465 points, that for the average weighted index of 50 companies by 6.3 points to 930 points, that for the turnover and Price Index by 282 points and that for the capital index by 12.9 points at the TSE's Wednesday close.
The index of the simple average index fell by 104.4 points to 22,118 points.
And that last (real) paragraph packs quite a bit into one long sentence. ;~ )
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.