TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Supporters of both
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and defeated presidential candidate
Mir-Hossein Mousavi held separate massive rallies in Tehran on Tuesday, state
television reported.
Thousands of pro-Ahmadinejad Iranians gathered at the
Vali Asr Square in downtown Tehran for a "unifying rally," while supporters of
Mousavi also held a massive rally at the Vanak Square upper north in the city.
At the Vali Asr Square, most of the people were
supporters of Ahmadinejad and they were also protesting against recent "riots"
on Iran's streets, mostly in Tehran.
Many demonstrators were holding pictures of
Ahmadinejad and Iran's national flags, a sign the incumbent president had been
using during his campaigns for the presidential election.
The pro-Ahmadinejad ralliers were chanting slogans in
support of the president while inviting supporters of Mousavi to national unity
by chanting "We are of the same nation," state-run Press TV's reporter said.
Addressing the crowds at the Vali Asr Square, former
Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel urged defeated presidential candidate
Mir-Hossein Mousavi to accept his failure in the presidential race.
Press TV's reporter said later at the Vanak Square
that the gathering of Mousavi's supporters had also turned into a massive rally
and the demonstrators, who were carrying green banners of the Mousavi campaign,
were calm.
Earlier Tuesday, Mousavi's supporters were reportedly
planning to hold a massive rally at the Vali Asr Square, but later Mousavi urged
them not to go there, warning that people "should be careful not to be trapped
in the preplanned confrontation."
All the parties and groups in support of Mousavi were
trying to get permission to stage rallies in protest against "the election
irregularities, the violence and the martyrdom of some of our countrymen,"
according to Mousavi's statement.
On Monday evening, at least seven people were killed
at a mass rally held by tens of thousands of supporters of Mousavi, according to
Press TV's report earlier Tuesday.
The protesters were killed after they tried to attack
a military post near Tehran's Azadi (Liberty) Square, the report said, adding
that dozens of others were also wounded when protesters were trying to destroy
public properties.
Meanwhile, Press TV quoted Tehran's police as saying
that security forces had arrested a number of "armed rioters" in connection with
the recent clashes in Tehran.
On Saturday afternoon, Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq
Mahsouli said Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the total ballots during Friday's
vote, while his main rival Mousavi got 33.75 percent.
After the official declaration, Mousavi protested
"strongly" the "obvious" violations in Iran's presidential election. He also
appealed to the Guardian Council for a cancellation of the election result.
During a meeting with Mousavi on Sunday evening,
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he had ordered the Guardian
Council to investigate the claims of fraud in the recent presidential election.
He also told the former prime minister to pursue his
appeal against the election result in a legal way.
Iran's Guardian Council, which is tasked with
supervising the election, said on Tuesday that it was ready to recount disputed
polling boxes, according to Press TV.
The council has agreed on a recount of disputed
ballot boxes in last week's presidential election if it finds irregularities in
the vote count, Press TV said.
"If it is necessary, exact recount will be done," the
local IRNA quoted the Guidance Council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei assaying
on Tuesday in another report.
Recount may lead to changes in the candidates' tally,
the council said.
TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that vote re-count in case of need must be carried out in the presence of representatives of the presidential candidates, Iran's state television reported.
"Any re-count must be done in the presence of representatives of the presidential candidates," Khamenei said, "so that everyone will be assured." Full story
TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Iranians gathered in downtown Tehran Tuesday afternoon for a "unifying rally," Iran's state television reported.
Most of the people were supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and they were also protesting against recent "riots" on Iran's streets, mostly in Tehran, according to the state television. Full story
TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Tuesday banned foreign journalists from news coverage in Tehran following street protests against Iran's presidential election result.
An official from Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance told Xinhua that journalists could continue to work in their offices but they cannot go out and do any interviews as the authorities were cancelling press accreditation of all foreign media. Full story
TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi will not participate in a Tuesday rally at Vali Asr Square, a statement posted on his website said.
On Monday's "illegal" rally held by Mousavi's supporters, "some people ... announced a rally for the following day from Vali Asr Square to Jam-e-Jam (state TV), but (Mousavi's) headquarters informs the people that he will not participate in this rally." Full story
TEHRAN, June 16 (Xinhua) - Iran's Guardian Council said on Tuesday that it is ready to recount the disputed polling boxes, local English-language Press TV said.
The council, Iran's top legislative body, has agreed on a recount of disputed ballot boxes in last week's presidential election if it finds irregularities in the vote count, Press TV said. Full story
