Posted on 06/25/2005 1:44:54 PM PDT by nuconvert
Western Nations Condemn Iran Vote Outcome
Saturday June 25, 2005
By BETH GARDINER
Associated Press Writer
LONDON (AP) - Governments of Muslim countries offered cautious congratulations in response to Iran's presidential election, while several Western countries Saturday sharply criticized a vote they said showed ``serious deficiencies.''
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the conservative mayor of Tehran, defeated his relatively moderate rival and was declared Iran's next president. His triumph extends the conservatives' control in Iran at a time when the nation's nuclear program faces increasing international scrutiny.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said many candidates were excluded and there were widespread complaints that security forces and other arms of the government had interfered improperly in the first round of the elections held June 17.
``For the Iranian people to have a fully free choice about their country's future, they should be able to vote for candidates who hold the full range of political views, not just candidates selected for them,'' he said.
In Washington, White House spokeswoman Maria Tamburri said Saturday the United States also questioned the fairness of the elections.
``We have expressed our clear concerns about the recent elections where over 1,000 candidates were disqualified from running, and there were many allegations of election fraud and interference,'' she said. ``We continue to stand with those who call for greater freedoms for the Iranian people.''
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, a Foreign Ministry spokesman focused on the election itself rather than the winner.
``The people of Iran are to be congratulated for the tremendous support and enthusiasm they have shown for the democratic electoral process,'' spokesman Marty Natalegawa said.
The leader of a radical Islamic group in Indonesia applauded the hard-liner's victory.
``I'm glad and happy to know Iran's result,'' said Irfan Awwas, a leader of Majelis Mujahiddin Indonesia, an extremist group. Its founder, Abu Bakar Bashir, is in jail for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.
A spokesman in Afghanistan - which shares a long border with Iran - refused comment on the choice of Ahmadinejad, saying the vote was an internal decision.
But several governments urged Iran to respond to international concerns about its nuclear program. France, Britain and Germany have been negotiating with Iran on its nuclear program, offering economic incentives in the hope of persuading the country to permanently halt uranium enrichment.
Straw urged the new president to ``take early steps to address international concerns about its nuclear program and policies toward terrorism, human rights and the Middle East peace process.''
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said Friday that a permanent suspension was ``not in the cards'' whatever the outcome of the vote.
Iran suspended all uranium enrichment-related activities in November to avoid having its nuclear program referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions. Iran insists its enrichment activities are for civilian uses only - not to make nuclear weapons, as the United States claims.
Ahmadinejad signaled during his campaign that he likely would take a much tougher stance in the talks.
In an open letter to be published in the Bild am Sonntag weekly on Sunday, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said he expected the talks to continue and that Iran ``must produce objective guarantees that its nuclear program will be used exclusively for peaceful objectives.''
He said the Europeans would continue to push for increased democracy and human rights in Iran.
Russia, which is helping build a nuclear plant in Iran and has offered to build more, said it was ready to keep cooperating as long as international agreements were observed.
The other thread had world leaders congratulating the winner.
I posted them both ;~ )
The other was from the regime itself (Tehran Times)
Sheesh. This would never have happened if Jimmy Carter had been there to oversee it and give it his blessing.
Only one government plus one terrorist group mentioned.
Lots of silence left.
LOL
Yeah, they're just a bit on the conservative side.
(You don't expect them to be referred to as fundamental fanatics, do ya?)
And after all, aren't all conservatives alike?
In deep Russian voice: "It's not who votes that counts. It's who counts the votes."
Sounds like the Mullahocracy has taken a turn to the dark side. Expect civil war in the near future...
Well maybe he can do a post election audit which will white wash it as per usual for him.
The coverage of news about Iran should start to decrease due to the end of election, and the climax is coming to an end that the Iranians will have to engage a nationwide uprise (revolution) soon or they will lose their chance and reason to revolt. The next chance for Iranians to be motivated to uprise nationwide would be the day of inauguration of the new president. If the people do not uprise until that date, Iranians will lose a short term chance for a success of revolution and might have to wait for years. Iranians have objected against invasion from US, and that means the Iranians have the responsibility for an uprise on their own.
Talk is cheap!
This seems unlikely. Younger people in Iran have pretty much been bought off by the ruling Mullahs in which a few social restrictions have been eased and the standard of living has risen slightly in return for their meek acquiescence.
The spirit of revolution and embracing true deomcratic ideals is fading as more and more young Iranians get keys to new Toyotas.
Moscow, 25 June: Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of congratulations to Mahmud Ahmadinezhad, who has won the presidential election in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian president's press service said today.
just wonder when Jimmuh will come to kiss the mullahs ring...
Maybe the Supreme Court should just condemn Iran.
I know a lot of countries that can make better use of the real estate.
The Iranians under a better leader and gov't could make better use of the real estate and were doing just that under the Shah.
Then US will be forced to consider to bomb nuclear facilities and liberate Iran by force in the future. If the Iranians are not going to do it, then US will have to. We don't give decades to wait for the Iranians to do what is needed to be done.
The people are anticipating that the easing of the restrictions you mentioned will cease and tough restrictions like those going back to 20 yrs ago, will resume.
Those restrictions and other crackdowns could be the impetus for revolt in the future.
This could help the cause of democracy. Now that the Mullets have stolen the election they have no one else to blame for the rotten economy and domestic repression.
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