Iran: Irregularities at the Polls

From the Wall Street Journal:

Iran's Guardian Council, a top review panel with responsibility for overseeing the June 12 presidential election, said it had uncovered some irregularities in the polls, finding the number of votes in 50 districts exceeded the number of voters.

...The Guardian Council announcement, made Monday on state-run media, was the first admission by authorities of voter irregularities. But a council spokesman also said the irregularities were much less wide-spread than unsuccessful opposition candidates had alleged in recent complaints.

"Statistics provided by the candidates, who claim more than 100% of those eligible have cast their ballot in 80-170 cities are not accurate," said council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, according to state media. "The incident has happened in only 50 cities," Mr. Kadkhodaei said. Iran has more than 360 districts.

...Mr. Kadhodaei said voter turnout of above 100% in some cities is a normal phenomenon because there is no legal restriction against people voting in a city or province in which they aren't registered. Chatham House, a London think tank, on Sunday also raised questions about excessive turnout based on voter returns and census data.

The Guardian Council admission was the latest in several apparent concessions to opposition candidates, whose supporters have flooded the streets of Tehran and other cities in demonstrations against the polls. The Guardian Council has said it was probing more than 600 complaints in the polling made by candidates.

"[V]oter turnout of above 100% in some cities is a normal phenomenon because there is no legal restriction against people voting in a city or province in which they aren't registered."

What is that?

It's no surprise that there are irregularities and the results of the election are tainted because there are no restrictions about people voting where they aren't registered.

It kind of reminds me of Wisconsin in terms of lax election laws and a failure to ensure the integrity of the vote.

Some Iranians are demanding fair elections.

Too bad the timid Obama is turning his back on the protesters.

Maybe he's preoccupied with plans for his next date night.
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Iran's Revolutionary Guard Threatens Protesters

Iran's most powerful security force threatened Monday to crush any further opposition protests over the disputed presidential election, warning demonstrators to prepare for a "revolutionary confrontation" if they take to the streets again. It was the sternest warning yet from the elite Revolutionary Guard.

...The Guard statement ordered demonstrators to "end the sabotage and rioting activities" and said their resistance is a "conspiracy" against Iran.

Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi vowed Sunday night to keep up the protests, charging the election was a fraud. The 67-year-old Mousavi, who heads a youth-driven movement for reform, claims he was the true winner of the election.

His statement was in defiance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power in Iran. In a sermon to tens of thousands on Friday, Khamenei said demonstrators must stop their street protests or face the consequences and he firmly backed Ahmadinejad's victory.

"The country belongs to you," Mousavi's latest statement said. "Protesting lies and fraud is your right."

Meanwhile, Obama is wimping out.