Senior Iran cleric says fake ballots were used to elect Ahmadinejad

Iran Focus ^ | 2005 Jul 10

[Wiz]

Tehran, Iran, Jul. 10 – In a poignant letter to Iran’s outgoing President Mohammad Khatami, Hojjatol-Islam Mehdi Karroubi accused “an autocratic political clique” of making use of “part of the armed forces and government employees” and taking advantage of “this country’s resources and manpower to conduct illegal activities”. He said fake ballots were used in two provinces to bolster the vote for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the first round of the election to allow him to go on to the second round.

Ex-Speaker of Parliament Karroubi, who came third in the first round of last month’s presidential elections, said that while he led the other candidates in the vote count by more than 1.2 million votes, suddenly a surge of votes in favour of Ahmadinejad from only two provinces – Tehran and Isfahan – placed the latter in front of him. He called for a recount of all ballots in these two provinces to discover “fake ballots”.

Karroubi’s specific accusation of a crucial vote-fix by Iran’s armed forces and the paramilitary Bassij had the effect of a bomb shell in Tehran’s ruling circles, drawing immediate ire from several clerics close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The letter is bound to exacerbate the already tense relationship between Karroubi and defeated candidate ex-President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on the one hand and Khamenei and his allies on the other.

[Wiz]

Iran news ping (this was also posted on Regime Change Iran Blog)

[LasVegasMac]

How / when did the 'Rats infest that country?

LVM

[SIRTRIS]

strange, very strange If my information and sources prove to be wrong, I will bravely apologise to the people and officials”, he wrote. “If I prove to be right, I will claim nothing. I will not even ask for a public report, because the venerable President-elect will soon be confirmed as President and will form his cabinet to serve the people”. talk about islamic principles

[McGavin999]

Well, you remember those international poll watchers that came for the last election? That's where they learned it.

[freeangel]

Well, what a surprise! NOT!!!

[tet68]

Karroubi will shortly be "in the past".
How DOES one say "Tango Uniform" in Persian.

[JohnLongIsland]

the only person in the whole universe that believes the election in iran was legitimate is jimmy carter, need we say more

[Brad’s Gramma]

Git 'er done!

[Brilliant]

Looks like they must have consulted with James Carville.

[oceanview]

they were used to elect Gregoire too. anything goes for the Democrats, and the mad mullahs of iran.