Iran’s Guardian Council admits to election fraud

July 20th, 2009 Khatami: Referendum can end Iran's election crisisTEHRAN, Iran — Former president Mohammad Khatami has called for a nationwide referendum on the legitimacy of the government, saying Iranians have lost faith in their political leaders after last month's disputed election, according to reports posted Monday on several reformist Web sites. The opposition charges that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the June 12 election through mass fraud.

June 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Monday deplored the detention of Iranian staffers at the British embassy in Tehran and called for their release. "We find that the harassment of embassy staff is deplorable, and we will continue to support the United Kingdom in calling for their release," Clinton told reporters.

June 29th, 2009 TEHRAN - The United States and Israel, the two main foes of Iran, were behind the post-election protests and violence in the Islamic country, a senior minister has alleged. "I announce that no organised rigging which could affect the result of the election has taken place," Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei said in an interview with IRIB's Channel Two Sunday night.

June 29th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran's legislative body, the Guardian Council, gave up hopes of representatives of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi appearing for an election review process and would start a re-count in front of state television cameras, the news network Khabar reported Monday. Khabar quoted council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei as saying that the representatives of both Moussavi and fellow presidential contender Mehdi Karroubi were supposed to join the review panel by noon Monday but because of their absence, the council had ordered the start of the recount of 10 percent of the ballots without the two defeated candidates' representatives.

June 28th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on all relevant parties Sunday to end disputes over the outcome of the June 12 presidential election. "I call on both sides not to provoke emotions of the youth, stop putting people against each other and refrain from scratching the nation's unity," Khamenei said in a meeting with judiciary officials.

June 28th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi Saturday refused to support a panel set up by the electoral watchdog Guardian Council to conduct a partial recount of votes in the disputed presidential election, a media report said. Refusing to be cowed by attacks on his party offices, Moussavi again demanded for fresh polls.

June 27th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran's Guardian Council has offered opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi a deal to settle the dispute over alleged fraud in the June 12 presidential election. Council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei said a special committee would be formed to review the disputed election results that gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a controversial victory.

June 24th, 2009 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. Moussavi, and millions of Iranians, accuse the government of fraud in the June 12 election that gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad an overwhelming victory.

June 24th, 2009 TEHRAN - Mohsen Rezaei, an opposition candidate in Iran's June 12 presidential elections, has withdrawn his complaint to the Guardian Council regarding irregularities in the election process, Iranian media reported Wednesday. The (current) political, social and security situation has entered a sensitive and decisive phase, which is more important than the election, said Rezaei in a letter to the secretary of the Guardian Council, Press TV reported.

June 23rd, 2009 Reports: Iran won't annul election resultsTEHRAN, Iran — Iran's state TV reports the country's top electoral authority has ruled out annulling the results of the disputed June 12 election in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was named the winner. A spokesman for the Guardian Council, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, was quoted by Iran's state-run English language Press TV as saying Tuesday that the organization had found "no major fraud or breach in the election." As a result, he said, the results would not be annulled.

June 23rd, 2009 Iran won't annul election results: state TVTEHRAN, Iran — Iran's state TV reports the country's top electoral authority has ruled out annulling the results of the disputed June 12 election in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was named the winner. A spokesman for the Guardian Council, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, was quoted by Iran's state-run English language Press TV as saying Tuesday that the organization had found "no major fraud or breach in the election." As a result, he said, the results would not be annulled.

June 22nd, 2009 LONDON - Iran's powerful Guardian Council has ruled out changing Iran's presidential election result, but admitted that the vote was flawed. The calls came as the Guardian Council, the body charged with reviewing the contested election, said it had concluded an investigation but would not be overturning the result.

June 20th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran's Guardian Council will recount 10 percent of the ballot boxes in last week's disputed presidential election, the state television reported Saturday. "The Guardian Council is ready to recount randomly up to 10 percent of the ballot boxes in last week's disputed presidential election," council's spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodai said.

June 14th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iranian opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi called on Iran's Guardian Council Sunday to nullify the results of the presidential election. Moussavi said in a statement on his website that he had forwarded an official request to the Guardian Council asking it to nullify the results.

June 13th, 2009 White House keeps close watch on Iran campaignWASHINGTON — The White House says it is monitoring Iran's presidential election results, including reports of voter fraud. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Saturday the Obama administration is keeping close watch on the election process, "including reports of irregularities." He said the White House was impressed "by the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians." Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (ah-muh-DEE'-neh-zhahd) has claimed victory.