Karoubi calls for fresh poll

TEHRAN (Reuters/AFP) - Defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karoubi called on Friday for Iran’s election result to be cancelled and fresh elections held, hours after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorsed the victory of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
In an open letter which will be delivered to the country’s highest legislative body, the Guardian Council, on Saturday (today), Karoubi said: “Accept the Iranian nation’s will by cancelling the vote and guarantee the establishment’s survival.”
Elderly and ailing Iranian dissident leader Ebrahim Yazdi has been freed from detention after being arrested earlier this week and is being treated in hospital, an aide told AFP on Friday.
Meanwhile, defeated candidate Mohsen Rezai said on Friday that official turnout was as high as 140 per cent in some constituencies during last week’s presidential election in Iran.
“When I submit (the list for) 170 constituencies where participation reached between 95 and 140pc are these generalities or does this need to be examined?” Rezai asked on state television late Thursday. Iran does not have an electoral list and voters can in theory cast their ballot in any part of the country, although each constituency has a number for its potential voters.
Rezai, who trailed third in the announced results, criticised the Interior Ministry for ignoring his demand to produce individual results for the different polling stations.