Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Iran votes between Ahmadinejad and moderates
Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:21am EDT
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Parisa Hafezi and Zahra Hosseinian
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranians began voting on Friday in a closely-fought election which pits hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against a former prime minister who sharply criticizes his economic record and wants detente with the West.
Four candidates are standing in the poll but Ahmadinejad's strongest challenger appears to be the moderate Mirhossein Mousavi, whose supporters have paraded through the capital Tehran in their thousands to demonstrate their backing.
The election outcome could help set the tone for Iran's relations with the West, which is concerned about Tehran's nuclear ambitions. A victory for Mousavi could increase the prospects for Western investment in the country, analysts say.
But for Iranians it is a chance to pass judgment on Ahmadinejad's four years in office, particularly his management of the Islamic Republic's oil exporting economy, which is suffering from high inflation and unemployment.
Voting started at 8 a.m. (11:30 p.m. EDT) and officials expect a high turnout from Iran's 46 million eligible voters. Preliminary results are expected early on Saturday. If no clear winner emerges from Friday's vote, a run-off will be held on June 19 between the two front-runners.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top authority, urged people to turn out for the election as he cast his ballot.
"Everybody go and everybody vote and act based on their judgment," Khamenei said in comments broadcast live on state television, urging people to do so early in the day.
Khamenei also warned of people who might seek to stir tension at polling stations. "If some wanted to create such tension people should not let them," he said.
State television, showing live footage of people queuing at a Tehran polling station, said a record turnout was expected.
"SHEER LIES"
Although Ahmadinejad says his government has revived economic growth and curbed price rises, the economy was the primary campaign issue. Official inflation is around 15 percent.
Social issues, such as strict dress codes for women and Iran's ties with the outside world, also featured in the campaign but the outcome of the vote will not shift Iran's foreign policy, which is determined by Khamenei.
The United States has had no ties with Iran since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution and remains the "Great Satan" in the leadership's demonology. U.S. President Barack Obama has offered a new relationship if Tehran "unclenches its fist."
Mousavi rejects Western demands that Iran halt uranium enrichment but analysts say he would bring a different approach to Iran-U.S. ties and Tehran's nuclear program, which the West fears is a cover to build bombs. Iran denies this.
The standoff over Tehran's nuclear ambitions has deterred Western investors in particular from doing business in Iran, which sits on the world's second-largest oil and gas reserves. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
Yahoo!
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
The Inside Word: 'Local' Isn't Just About Geography
Afghanistan and Pakistan
Fighting the Taliban
A growing insurgency in Afghanistan is also spreading deep into Pakistan, making both countries crucial to U.S. war efforts in the region. Full Coverage
More International News
WHO declares first 21st century flu pandemic
| Video
Air France chief questions sensor role in crash
| Video
U.S. skeptical Netanyahu will back down: diplomats
Iraq warns attacks will intensify before election
Afghan insurgent violence accelerates in 2009
| Video
More International News...
Video
U.S. stakes in Iranian election
Play Video
Countdown to Iran vote
Iran's Facebook youth prods voters
More Video...
Related News
U.S. envoy Dennis Ross lays out Iran options
11 Jun 2009
Ahmadinejad's economic record may sway Iran vote
11 Jun 2009
Afghans hope Iran poll brings U.S., Tehran closer
11 Jun 2009
I'm no Michelle Obama, says Iran's aspiring "First Lady"
11 Jun 2009
Iran's Mousavi seen as main threat to Ahmadinejad
11 Jun 2009
Youth may be challenge for Ahmadinejad in poll
11 Jun 2009
For some Tehran youth, vote is a chance to party
11 Jun 2009
Life in Iran under the Shah and now
11 Jun 2009
Timeline: Iran's road to presidential elections
11 Jun 2009
FACTBOX: Issues in Iran's presidential election race
11 Jun 2009
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Iran votes between Ahmadinejad and moderates | Video
WHO declares first 21st century flu pandemic
California nears financial "meltdown" as revenues tumble
North Korea, Iran joined on missile work: U.S. general
U.S. drug czar calls for end to "war on drugs"
EU offers mixed view on Microsoft browser plan
Actor Johnny Palermo dies in car accident
SCENARIOS: Retaliation North Korea may take against UN
California nears financial "meltdown" as revs tumble
WHO declares first 21st century flu pandemic | Video
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Petraeus on the Afghan surge
Iran's Facebook youth prods voters
Obama pushes healthcare reform
U.S. stakes in Iranian election
WHO declares flu pandemic
Shock over Holocaust Museum shooting
Flu closes schools in Asia
Traffic cop tasers speeding granny
Guam emergency landing
Forensic checks on air crash bodies
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
The Great Debate
Fearing the supermen of Guantanamo
Bernd Debusmann
The language used in the debate over plans to close the detention center has taken on a surreal quality and convey the impression that Guantanamo detainees will wander the streets, shopping for sandals and guns. Commentary
Follow Bernd Debusmann on Twitter
We want to hear from you
Join the Reuters Consumer Insight Panel and help us get to know you better
Please take a moment to complete our survey
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Labs |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.