Surprise, surprise, I never thought that I would agree with an article from these crackpots
http://www.socialistworker.org/2005-2/549/549_11_Iran.shtml
But the hard right is determined to show that it still can mobilize its base, remaining a force to be reckoned with that cannot be marginalized. Whether orchestrated through fraud or not, Ahmadinejad's second-place finish is meant to act as a brake on Rafsanjani - a reminder that the "pragmatists" can't cut out the right completely, and that he should look to the conservatives and not the reformists in setting policy.
But there is a chance that the right could go too far - and try to impose Ahmadinejad as the next president. This would be a miscalculation that could set the stage for mass protests - and give new life to pro-reform, pro-democracy forces.
http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=32802&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs
Iran Ministry warns of fraud in president run-off
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 IranMania.com
LONDON, June 22 (IranMania) - Iran's interior ministry warned of the prospect of even greater fraud in this week's presidential election run-off by "some people who are ready to do anything to stay in power", AFP reported.
The ministry, in charge of organising the election, said the days ahead of last Friday's first round saw "people belonging to instititions whose job is to protect people and reinforce order... orchestrate and organise people's vote".
"They might do it again and even stronger this time," a visibly angry interior ministry spokesman Jahanbakhsh Khanjani told reporters.
"We do our best to confront that," he said, cryptically pointing the finger at "some people who are ready to do anything to stay in power and manipulate the election".
Three of the seven candidates who stood in the first round of the election last Friday have complained of rigging they say were aimed at propelling Tehran's ultra-hardline mayor Mahmood Ahmadinejad into a run-off against moderate conservative cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
"The intelligence ministry has recognised some of the key elements, and the intelligence and the judiciary must confront them and announce their findings before the election" run-off this Friday, Khanjani said.
But he mysteriously added that "the mastermind may not be revealed because it is not to the benefit of the country".
The allegations of rigging did not concern the stuffing of ballot boxes, but rather an organised campaign to bring out right-wing voters and sway undecided Iranians through cash payments.
comment:May we guess that the name of the mastermind is K...
"Ahmadinejad's second-place finish is meant to act as a brake on Rafsanjani "
I'm not so sure about that. I think it was to get people to the polls in the run-off (using Ahmadi Nejad as a scare tactic), and make Rafsanjani look popular and make the election of him look more legitimate. Plus (if it all works out) he can say he got more votes than even Khatami got. A little icing on the cake.
The people must continue to boycott!