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  Date / Time: 8/5/2009 11:58 PM UTC

  Iran: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's message to West as he is sworn in as president
  

  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has used his swearing in for a second term in office as president of Iran to appeal for national unity and denounce foreign interference in the country.

   

  Published: 8:34AM BST 05 Aug 2009

  In a nod to the controversy over the results of the election that returned him to power, he acknowledged he was not expecting congratulation messages from Western leaders.

  "We heard that some of the Western leaders had decided to recognise but not congratulate the new government ... Well, no one in Iran is waiting for your messages," he said.

   

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  Germany, France, Britain and the US all said they would not be sending letters of congratulation to Mr Ahmadinejad, although the White House has admitted he is the country's "elected leader".

  Earlier, Mr Ahmadinejad took the oath and pledged to protect the constitution and frontiers of Iran. He also said he would make Iran's foreign policy "stronger and with more effective new plans."

  "I hereby swear by the almighty God to protect the system of the Islamic Revolution and the constitution, I will spare no effort to safeguard the frontiers of Iran" he said.

  Following months of unrest in the country over the election results, he called for unity, saying: "We should join hands as we move forward to fulfill our goals."

  Mr Ahmadinejad did not directly address the massive street demonstrations against his proclaimed election victory, but said his government would "resist any violation of law and interference."

  "We will not remain silent, we will not tolerate disrespect, interference and insults," he said.

  Top officials and clerics attended the ceremony, which was boycotted by opposition leaders and moderate lawmakers.

  Iran's opposition has claimed Mr Ahmadinejad stole the vote in the June 12 presidential elections and there have been mass street protests that have shaken the country's religious leadership. At least 30 demonstrators have been killed in the uprising.

  Opposition supporters took to the streets again today and were met by hundreds of riot police, who used perry spray to disperse the crowds.

  At least one supporter of Mr Ahmadinejad's rival Mirhossein Mousavi was arrested in the clashes as people gathered outside parliament and in squares across Tehran.

  One witness reported seeing hundreds of Mousavi supporters walking around the parliament building despite a heavy presence of riot police and Basij militia.

  The inauguration followed an official endorsement of Mr Ahmadinejad's presidency on Monday from Iran's Islamic religious establishment and the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Under the constitution, Mr Ahmadinejad has two weeks to propose a government and offer a list of Cabinet members for approval in parliament.

  Mr Ahmadinejad also pledged to "uproot all sources of corruption" and move the economy forward, saying he believes he can "solve the problem of unemployment."

  Mr Ahmadinejad now has two weeks to form a government that must then be approved by parliament.

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  • RIGGED ELECTION IN I
  • AHMADI IS TERRORIST
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