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  Date / Time: 6/14/2009 7:03 AM UTC

  Ahmadinejad re-election sparks Iran clashes
  

  Mr Mousavi has also claimed victory, as his supporters said the election had been stolen and vowed to appeal for a re-run. Ahmadinejad re-election sparks Iran clashes Thousands of opposition supporters have clashed with police after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of Iran's presidential poll. Secret police have been attacked, while riot police used batons and tear gas against backers of Mir Hossein Mousavi, who called the results a "charade". Correspondents say the violence is the worst seen in Tehran in a decade. The official results gave Mr Ahmadinejad 63% of the vote against just 34% for Mr Mousavi. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised the high turnout of 85%, described the count as a "real celebration" and called for calm. John Simpson Reporting from Tehran A crowd of about 3,000 attacked the police, some of whom were on motorbikes, which they set on fire. The sky was thick with black smoke. Police attacked the crowd with sticks and maybe teargas. I didn't expect to see people turning on the secret police. We were filming when we were surrounded by angry secret policemen. The crowd turned on them and chased them off. I suspect we are not looking at a revolution but there is serious anger. It all depends on how the government responds - if they use violence, that could inflame the situation. In quotes: Reaction to result "Enemies may want to spoil the sweetness of this event... with some kind of ill-intentioned provocations," the ayatollah said. Mr Mousavi has also claimed victory, as his supporters said the election had been stolen and vowed to appeal for a re-run. But observers say this would have little chance of success. Some of the protesters in Tehran wore Mr Mousavi's campaign colour of green and chanted "Down with the dictator", news agencies report. Four police motorbikes were set on fire near the interior ministry, where votes had been counted, the BBC's John Simpson in Tehran says. Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli warned that any demonstrations needed official permission, and none had been given. One opposition newspaper has been closed down and BBC websites also appear to have been blocked by the Iranian authorities. Mr Mousavi was hoping to prevent Mr Ahmadinejad winning more than 50% of the vote, in order to force a run-off election. Danger of 'tyranny' Mr Mousavi, a former prime minister, dismissed the election result as deeply flawed. "I personally strongly protest the many obvious violations and I'm warning I will not surrender to this dangerous charade," the Reuters news agency reported him as saying. IRANIAN ELECTION Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: 62.6% Mir Hossein Mousavi: 33.8% Mohsen Rezai: 1.7% Mehdi Karroubi 0.9% Turnout: 85% Source: Interior ministry In pictures: After Iran's election Tension looms after Iran result Power of women in Iran's election Poll passion in US Send us your comments "The result of such performance by some officials will jeopardise the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny." Mr Mousavi had said there was a shortage of ballot papers and alleged that millions of people had been denied the right to vote. His election monitors were not allowed enough access to polling stations, he added. The head of the Committee to Protect the People's Votes, a group set up by all three opposition candidates, said the group would not accept the result, alleging fraud. They have asked Iran's Guardian Council - a powerful body controlled by conservative clerics - to cancel the results and re-run the elections. A second opposition candidate, Mehdi Karroubi, declared the results "illegitimate and unacceptable". The BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran says the result has been greeted with surprise and with deep scepticism by many Iranians. The figures, if they are to be believed, show Mr Ahmadinejad winning strongly even in the heartland of Mr Mousavi, the main opposition contender. The scale of Mr Ahmadinejad's win means that many people who voted for a reformist candidate in the previous presidential election four years ago have apparently switched their votes to Mr Ahmadinejad, he adds. However, the president does enjoy the support of many of the urban poor and rural dwellers. "I am happy that my candidate has won - he helps the poor and he catches the thieves," sandwich seller Kamra Mohammadi, 22, told the AFP news agency. The opposition gain much of their support from the middle classes and the educated urban population. Surge of interest BBC Iranian affairs analyst Sadeq Saba says the result means that hope for peaceful reform in Iran may die for a long time. There had been a surge of interest in Iran's presidential election, with unprecedented live television debates between the candidates and rallies attended by thousands. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's supporters have been celebrating the result There were long queues at polling stations, with turnout reaching 85%. Four candidates contested the election, with Mohsen Razai and Mehdi Karroubi only registering about 1% of the vote each. Iran is ruled under a system known as Velayat-e Faqih, or "Rule by the Supreme Jurist", who is currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It was adopted by an overwhelming majority in 1979 following the Islamic revolution which overthrew the autocratic Western-backed Shah. But the constitution also stipulates that the people are the source of power and the country holds phased presidential and parliamentary elections every four years. All candidates are vetted by the powerful conservative-controlled Guardian Council, which also has the power to veto legislation it deems inconsistent with revolutionary principles.  Original article

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