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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Mousavi identifies 'achievement' in Iran election |
| 2009-08-06 |
| Amid ongoing opposition to Iran's disputed election, former presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi says the vote and its 'bitter aftermath' have led to a "treasured achievement" for the nation. "There is a treasured achievement in the [post-vote] events," said Mousavi, who has emerged as the leader of the opposition after losing to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The former prime minister, speaking to a group of youth on Tuesday, said the election had brought to surface "grave and complicated crises" facing the establishment 30 years after the Islamic Revolution. The re-election of President Ahmadinejad with almost two-thirds of the votes on June 12 generated great waves of discontent in Iran. The result of the vote prompted a vast outpouring of anger by supporters of Mousavi and another presidential candidate, Mehdi Karroubi, who took to the streets to protest what they call a "rigged" election. The opponents and critics of Ahmadinejad have harshly slammed the president, who enjoyed windfall oil revenues in his first term, over what they call mismanaging the economy, stoking inflation and damaging Iran's image in the international community. "These problems would not have been unveiled, if it weren't for the election," said Mousavi, whose credentials are well-known since the 1979 revolution. "This is a great achievement." The defeated candidate went on to say that the nation now fully feels the problems that were raised during the course of the election, Ghalam News reported. On the issue of protesters who face trial on charges of plotting to topple the government, Mousavi said that arrests of opposition figures and activists would not stop the movement opposing Ahmadinejad's re-election. Mousavi and his supporters claim that the election was stolen from him in a widespread "fraud" in favor of the incumbent. The charges have been disputed by Iran's electoral watchdog. "I noticed the birth of a strong national feeling during the course of the election... which has united different groups in the society," he said. "Some thought that by arresting several people who they believe are protest leaders, the whole story will be finished." "But the fact is that this movement has stayed alive, showing that the arrests will not be effective." Iranian authorities arrested thousands of opposition figures, protesters and journalists in the aftermath of the election, many of whom have been released since. Despite the defiant opposition, President Ahmadinejad, who was sworn in before Parliament on Wednesday, struck a tone of unity, calling on officials and the people to work with his government. |
| Posted by:Fred |