Everyone expects an address to the nation over the problems of the contested elections. Khamenei has already declared Ahmadinejad the winner; following criticism and the pro-Moussavi demonstrations he allowed a partial recount of votes, but the people on the streets are calling for new elections. Even Ahmadinejad seems more cautious. Assembly of experts, the most important religious organism, has praised the Iranians for their voter turn-out, but have not said a word about Ahmadinejad’s contested victory

Teheran (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Iran's supreme leader ayatollah Alì Khamenei will speak today at Tehran University following Friday Prayers.  Many are predicting that he will use this occasion to deliver an address to the nation over the contested elections that have led to 6 days of protests and violence in the capital.

Khamenei has publicly requested the attendance of all the main players in the political drama the president elect and opposition candidates, while authorities have been laying on bus services and urging people to come.

Hundreds of thousands of people have protested across Teheran, Mashad, Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz in support of Mir Hossein Moussavi, one of the losing candidates in the June 12th election that Ahmadinejad to power amid accusations of fraud.

They have been the biggest protests in 30 years since the removal of the Shah.

Authorities consider the protests “illegal” and the unrest has spurred the authorities to clamp down on dissent by blocking websites, restricting journalists and arresting dozens - possibly hundreds - of activists they regard as opponents. At least 8 people were killed when police fired on the crowds on June 15th last.

Moussavi and two other candidates have denounced more than 600 violations and are demanding an election recount, but above all they want a return to the ballot box in an open challenge to the Khamenei, who so far has only allowed a partial recount of the votes.

Yesterday the Assembly of Experts, the regimes most important religious organ, applauded the mass participation in the vote (85% of eligible voters), but did not utter a word about the victory of Ahmadinejad. Even the victorious president, who initially compared the protesters to deluded football fans, was far more cautious yesterday when he said “the victory belongs to 70 million Iranians and the 40 million who turned out to vote.  All of us are winners”.

 

 

 

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