Ahmadinejad: Everyone expects their team to win
Thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran to celebrate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election
Also In The News
|
A week after comfortably beating Argentina, England have fallen to a 24-22 defeat away to the Pumas. |  |
Sunday, 14, Jun 2009 10:45
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed concerns about the validity of his re-election to a second term as president of Iran, insisting elections in the country are the "cleanest" in the world.
Appearing before a public rally of thousands in Tehran for his victory speech, the president equated protestors who have taken to the streets after the disputed election to angry football fans upset their team has not won.
"It is not clear how they are questioning the participation of 40 million people in these elections," he said.
"I have still not been shown any documents by anybody, they are just saying the outcome is unexpected.
"It is like football, everybody expects their team to win."
High turnout in Friday's election - estimated at 85 per cent - had been expected to result in a closely-run electoral battle between Mr Ahmadinejad and his main challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
But official results declared and accepted yesterday by the Iranian political establishment put former prime minister Mr Mousavi on just 33.75 per cent to his rival's 62.63 per cent.
On Sunday Mr Mousavi lodged an official complaint with the country's legislative body the guardian council calling for the result to be cancelled.
In the United States the White House has expressed concern over voting irregularities while vice president Joe Biden has expressed doubts of the results.
"I have doubts, but withhold comment," he told NBC's Meet the Press
"Is this the response, is this the accurate response, is this the wish of the Iranian people?"
On Saturday violent protests broke out in Tehran when the results were announced, leading to the arrest of scores of reformist politicians and group leaders on Sunday morning.
Mr Mousavi had called on his supporters to protest in a "peaceful and legal way".
In a press conference attended by the international press, Mr Ahmadinejad said he could not guarantee his rival's safety, again using a football analogy to relate the arrest of reformists to a football fan leaving a stadium and violating traffic laws because his team has lost.
"All people are equal before the law," he added.