Ahmadinejad wins! Sparks Protests!

Source: CNN

As street protests and voter skepticism rose over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election victory, the incumbent leader hailed the vote, saying it was a "great ordeal" but one that pointed "the way to the future."

"The people of Iran inspired hope for all nations and created a source of pride in the nation and disappointed all the ill wishers," Ahmadinejad said in a nationwide TV address Saturday night. "This election was held at a juncture of history."

The government said on Saturday that Ahmadinejad won Friday's presidential election with 62.63 percent of the vote and Mir Hossein Moussavi received 33.75 percent of the vote.

But while he extolled the result and the huge turnout, Moussavi and supporters in the Tehran streets are crying foul as street clashes have erupted in the aftermath of the polls. Reaction emerged across the world, as countries such as the United States and Canada voiced concern over claims of voter irregularities.

The ongoing street protests have been viewed as remarkable in a country where anti-government sentiment is not looked upon kindly by those in power. In the aftermath of the vote, street protesters and riot police engaged in running battles, with stones thrown, garbage cans set on fire and people shouting "death to the dictatorship."

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That's quite a riot! Almost Stanley Cup proportions!

Iranian Election Push

Source: CNN

The sidewalks of Iran's capital are jammed with political rallies, just days before the Islamic republic decides on its next president.

A sea of green identifies the massive rally for reformist candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi, who is hoping to unseat hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Moussavi has rallied Iran's younger voters, many of whom just want Ahmadinejad out of office.

"This is like a revolution, people are excited about rescuing our country from a calamity it's been in for the last four years," says Pega, a Moussavi supporter who dons a green headband under her black headscarf.

Voters will head to the polls on Friday.

On the opposite street, Ahmadinejad's supporters, who are mostly traditional and overwhelmingly religious, wave pictures of the incumbent president as honking cars pass through the dueling sidewalk rallies. Many have been bused in to counter the ever-growing Moussavi crowds.

The Iranian president still has staunch support especially among the poor in the provinces to whom he has doled out money, benefits and favors.

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Sounds like the young, the rich and the women are on Moussavi's side while the rest thing everything is great and want more Ahmadinejad. The opposition will always promise more freedoms. Whether they can deliver when elected is another issue.

Do you think a new President will change Iran's relations with the rest of the world?