Both sides claim victory in Iran election

Iran votes in tight election
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By Parisa Hafezi and Zahra Hosseinian
TEHRAN (Reuters) - State media declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner of Iran's election on Friday but challenger Mirhossein Mousavi alleged irregularities and claimed victory for himself.
The head of the state election commission said Ahmadinejad was leading Mousavi by 69.04 percent to 28.42 percent with more than 5 million votes counted from about 8,800 ballot boxes, or 19 percent of the total.
The official news agency IRNA said: "Dr Ahmadinejad, by winning most votes at the 10th presidential election, has secured his victory."
Mousavi had earlier tried to pre-empt official announcements by calling a news conference at which he alleged there had been irregularities, including a shortage of ballot papers.
"I am the definite winner of this presidential election," he declared.
A bitterly fought campaign has generated intense excitement inside Iran and strong interest around the world, with policymakers looking for signs of a change of approach by Tehran, whose ties with the West worsened under Ahmadinejad.
A victory for Mousavi could help ease tensions with the West, which is concerned about Tehran's nuclear ambitions, and improve chances of engagement with U.S. President Barack Obama, who has talked about a new start in ties with Tehran.
In Washington, Obama said his administration was excited about the debate taking place in Iran and he hoped it would help the two countries to engage "in new ways."
Mousavi, a former prime minister, said many people had not been able to cast their ballots even after voting was extended by four hours. At his news conference, he listed what he said were problems with the voting process.
"(We) are waiting for the counting of votes to officially end and explanations of these irregularities be given," Mousavi said. "We expect to celebrate with people soon."
The streets of Tehran appeared quiet.
Under the election rules, if no candidate wins 50 percent of the votes, a run-off will be held on June 19 between the two front-runners.
VOTING QUEUES
Long queues had formed at voting centers, both in northern, affluent areas of Tehran where Mousavi draws support and in southern, poorer neighborhoods seen as Ahmadinejad strongholds. The election commission, announcing early returns, did not say which areas had been counted first.
High turnout could indicate voting by many pro-reformers who stayed away when Ahmadinejad won four years ago on a pledge to revive the values of the 1979 Islamic revolution. Political analysts have said they expect a close race. Continued...
Source: Reuters