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Iran reformer claims 'dirty tricks'
Ed Harris12 Jun 2009
Iranian presidential challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi accused the government of cutting off the text message network to stop his supporters spreading news about today's election.
He also claimed his representatives were barred from entering polling stations to monitor the vote.
"We should not be fearful about the free flow of information and I urge officials to observe the law," he wrote on his campaign website after voting this morning.
Iran's telecommunication ministry spokesman, Davood Zareian, said the text message system had been down since Wednesday. "We are investigating the case," he said.
Voter turnout is expected to be high as Iranians decide between the pro-reform Mr Mousavi and hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Election official Ali Akbar Fadai said there could be record numbers of voters, which commentators have said could help Mr Mousavi.
The candidates need more than 50per cent of the vote to win today and avoid a run-off next Friday.
Queues outside polling stations in Tehran were at least 100 long by mid-morning.
Mahnaz Mottaghi, 23, voted at a mosque in the Iranian capital and said: "I am happy that I could vote. I hope to defeat Ahmadinejad today."
Outside the same polling station, Abbas Rezai, 29, said he, his wife and sister-in-law voted for Mr Ahmadinejad. "We will have him as a president for another term, for sure," he said.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was among the first to cast his vote and urged Iranians to remain calm. "As far as I see and hear, passion and motivation is very high among people," he said. "If some intend to create tension, this will harm people."
Mr Ahmadinejad also commented on the turnout after he cast his vote in a mosque in eastern Tehran.
"A strong and revolutionary decision by the people will mean a bright and progressive future for the nation," he said.
The election has generated excitement among Iran's youth, many of whom boycotted the 2005 polls which brought Mr Ahmadinejad, 52, to power.
Mr Mousavi's rallies in Tehran drew tens of thousands of supporters shouting anti-Ahmadinejad slogans and dancing to pop songs in the streets.
Internet campaigning has been harnessed for the first time, allowing 67-year-old Mr Mousavi, Iran's prime minister from 1981 to 1989, a chance to win with his promises of greater freedom and outreach to the US, accepting Barack Obama's offer to open dialogue after three decades of diplomatic stalemate.
His wife, Zahra Rahnavard, has also drawn crowds - women's rights advocates have applauded her public role. She has promised to keep her central role if her husband wins.
If Mr Mousavi wins the vote, it is not clear how far he could push change, as the clerics control the Revolutionary Guard, the judiciary and intelligence services and set foreign and defence policies.
The clerics have given no signals that they are willing to halt Iran's nuclear programme. Mr Ahmadinejad refuses to stop uranium enrichment, which can be used for nuclear power or weapons.
Mr Mousavi has suggested an international consortium to oversee it, but both say it is Iran's right to pursue nuclear technology.
With the outcome looking tight, the level of support for two other candidates, former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei and former parliamentary speaker Mehdi Karroubi, could play a crucial role.
