Moussavi wants independent committee to review election results

By DPA,

Tehran : The best way to settle the dilemma over the controversial results of Iran’s presidential elections would be formation of an independent committee, a statement released on opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi’s website suggested Wednesday.


Support TwoCircles

Moussavi, and millions of Iranians, accuse the government of fraud in the June 12 election that gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad an overwhelming victory.

The election review and final decision on the result is constitutionally in the hands of the Guardian Council, but the impartiality of council is disputed by Moussavi and other opposition groups due to its strong support for Ahmadinejad.

The council consists of six clerics and six lawyers.

“We should therefore form a fact-finding committee which should be impartial, efficient, courageous and acknowledged by all relevant sides,” a statement released on Moussavi’s website said.

The committee should carefully investigate the whole election process, the statement said.

“The final report of this committee would not only return calm to the society but also credibility to the system and would furthermore expose Iran once again as frontrunner of Islamic democracy in the world,” the statement added.

The Guardian Council has postponed announcement of the final election results, scheduled for Wednesday, for five more days in order to remove all remaining ambiguities.

The alleged election fraud prompted demonstrations in Tehran and other cities in which at least 17 people were killed.

Moussavi wants to continue protests but within a legal framework and to avoid violence after the police and the Revolutionary Guard warned they would harshly confront illegal demonstrations.

The Moussavi camp said events related to the opposition leader would be announced through his website and any other protest gatherings, such as one scheduled Wednesday in front of the Iranian parliament, were not related them.

SUPPORT TWOCIRCLES HELP SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND NON-PROFIT MEDIA. DONATE HERE