****IRAN POLLS OPEN*** Update thread

[grantcart]

If you want to check in here are some stations that are following it


Al Jazeera English (excellent station) http://www.livestation.com/channels/3-al_jazeera_english

BBC http://www.livestation.com/channels/9-bbc_world_service_english

ITN http://www.livestation.com/channels/41-itn_on_livestation_english

Candidates


Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad



Mir Hossein Mousavi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir-Hossein_Mousavi



Mohsen Rezaee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohsen_Rezaee



Karubi in Zanjan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehdi_Karroubi

Edited to add

Winner needs to get 51%

If no one gets 51% the top two have a runoff

Last election results 2005


Candidates . . . . . . . .Votes 1st round %. . . . Votes 2nd round %

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani 6,211,937 . .21.13%. . . . 10,046,701. . 35.93%

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. . . 5,711,696 . .19.43%. . . . 17,284,782. . 61.69%

Mehdi Karroubi . . . . . 5,070,114 . .17.24%

Mostafa Moeen . . . . . .4,095,827 . .13.93%

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf 4,083,951 . .13.89%

Ali Larijani . . . . . . 1,713,810 . . 5.83%

Mohsen Mehralizadeh . . . 1,288,640. . 4.38%

Blank or invalid votes. . 1,224,882. . 4.17%. . . . . 663,770. . 2.37

Total (turnout 62.66% and 59.6%) 29,400,857 100. . . . 27,959,253 . 100

[scrappydo]

1. Thank you, grantcart..

This will be interesting to watch!

[eleny]

2. k&r

[bluestateguy]

3. And I Ran.

And I ran, I ran so far away.
I just ran, I ran all night and day.
I couldnt get away.

A cloud appears above your head;
A beam of light comes shining down on you,
Shining down on you.
The cloud is moving nearer still.
Aurora borealis comes in view;
Aurora comes in view.

And I ran, I ran so far away.
I just ran, I ran all night and day.
I couldnt get away.

Reached out a hand to touch your face;
Youre slowly disappearing from my view;
Disappearing from my view.
Reached out a hand to try again;
Im floating in a beam of light with you;
A beam of light with you.

And I ran, I ran so far away.
I just ran, I ran all night and day.
I couldnt get away.

[Bicoastal]

4. According to Tomazil al-Brokawaj...

...this year it all comes down to swing provinces.

Hormozgan, Hormozgan, Hormozgan...

[bluestateguy]

5. Whose going to win the working class white vote?

Who will the Hillary voters support? Will they show up at all? Oh, and what about the security Moms?

[Drunken Irishman]

6. Is there going to be an Albradley effect?

[Hippo_Tron]

11. Yup there's definitely going to be an Albradley effect, Mouosavi is DOOMD!

[Hippo_Tron]

12. Yup there's definitely going to be an Albradley effect, Mouosavi is DOOMD!

[PretzelWarrior]

9. Also, Darius Rather said "the election is hotter than a falafel on a Tehran street in July

[Drunken Irishman]

7. Question, when do polls close (what time in the US)?

[grantcart]

18. About 6 pm Iran but the hours can be extended twice if there is heavy voting

[Drunken Irishman]

20. I don't know what time 6 is here.

[UrbScotty]

25. 8 1/2 hours difference from Eastern Time in the US

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

9:30 AM.

[MADem]

8. Come on MIR!!!!

His name means PEACE, so here's hoping he can deliver.

[SamCooke]

10. Even tho their President really doesn't do anything outside of give speeches, this is interesting.

[grantcart]

14. The President has power of domestic spending and domestic programs

The Supreme Leader controls the military, nuclear policy and foreign policy

But more importantly it will be seen as a vote of confidence in conservatism or a desire for reform, including diplomacy

[Hippo_Tron]

15. The clerics have a lot of veto power over domestic policy

Khatami didn't get a lot of the reforms he wanted because the clerics blocked them. That said it is indeed a very important vote of confidence or lack there of.

[Drunken Irishman]

17. And he will be the face of the country.

[SamCooke]

37. Their president is like the Secy of State here. A diplomat with a boss to answer to. nt

[uppityperson]

13. k&r

[AtomicKitten]

16. Mousavi may really have a shot at the title but they are worried about fraud.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mousavis-aides-fear-dirty-tricks-could-swing-result-1703226.html

[grantcart]

22. if Ahmadinejad wins and people suspec fraid - which they will

it will parrallel the situation in Bangkok where the government won in the rural area but the capital will be completely against them.

If they organize and take to the streets it will be very hard for a government to function that has all of its support in the rural area and a hostile population in the capital.

[AtomicKitten]

26. Mousavi's supporters are inspired, and after Lebanon's election so am I.

Lebanon's Election Could Bboost ME Peace Efforts:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-06-11-voa53.cfm

Here Come's President Mousavi:
http://iranian.com/main/blog/jahanshah-javid/here-comes-president-mousavi

[rpannier]

19. Three of them have pledged to have women in their cabinets. Guess who is the only one who hasn't?

In case you couldn't figure it out:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

[Chulanowa]

21. Rooting for Karubi, myself

Mousavi strikes me as something like an Iranian Reagan. Privatize, privatize, privatize. Maybe Iran could use a little more privatization, I dunno. But I do know that too much, or too fast, will ruin the country.

[grantcart]

24. Actually I think karubi is seen as more of a reformist than Mousavi

in any case it could be Donald Duck, the key is to defeat Ahmadinejad, the first time an incumbent President would ever have been defeated.

[11cents]

23. What about the soccer imam vote?

[Chulanowa]

28. That was baaaaad

But I laughed anyway

[BrklynLiberal]

27. Thanks for this post and the links...

[Turborama]

29. Just posted in LBN: Iran poll will end in riots if Ahmadinejad cheats, says Mousavi camp

Would have posted here if I'd seen this thread before. Thanks grantcart for the updates & I second your comments on Al Jazeera English.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3918689

[DrToast]

30. There could be riots if Ahmadinejad wins legitimately

People might think it was fixed anyway.

[Turborama]

31. That's quite possible, too

I guess we'll never know whether it was legit or not, if he wins that is.

[grantcart]

32. Analysts are saying that

77% were polled for a reapproachment with the US

40% unemployment, the sanctions are having a terrible effect.

[vaberella]

33. Really? Has they said where it might be leaning? n/t

[grantcart]

34. Al jazeera is talkling like its a done deal that it is going to be Mousavi

That it turned just in the last few days with the open defiance.

Once the cracks opened up people were able to really express themselves.


Women were not a big factor before but are voting in bigger numbers.


The fact that all three opposition candidates were against Ahmadinejad made him look bad in the debates.

[vaberella]

35. Oooohh...Brilliance. I'm glad, now we have to get the confirmation & we're good to go. n/t

[Withywindle]

36. Thanks so much for this thread.

Unlike Newt Gingrich and his posse of small-minded grabby little douchetrucks, we ARE citizens of the world.

[DCBob]

38. Already reports of problems -- Mousavi's observers being banned and text messaging system down

TEHRAN (Reuters) - The leading moderate candidate in Iran's presidential election said some of his representatives had been denied access to polling stations on Friday to monitor the vote, the ILNA news agency reported.

Mirhossein Mousavi, a former prime minister who is challenging President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the election, called on the authorities to resolve the issue quickly.

He also said text messaging, which candidates have used to reach young voters during a fiercely-contested election campaign, had been closed down and that this was against the law, the ISNA news agency reported.

more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE55A0ST20090612

[grantcart]

43. They are laying the foundation for action if the election is stolen

[jefferson_dem]

39. Mousavi ally claims lead in Iran election (Reuters)

TEHRAN (Reuters) - An ally of Mirhossein Mousavi said the moderate candidate was winning most votes in Iran's presidential election on Friday, but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's camp dismissed the claim as "psychological war".

Sadegh Kharazi, an ally of Mousavi, told Reuters that surveys made by reformers showed former prime minister Mousavi was getting about 58-60 percent of the votes cast so far. He was speaking about three hours before polling stations were officially due to close at 6 p.m. (1330 GMT).

Ahmadinejad adviser Ali Akbar Javanfekr said the vote was impossible to predict: "This is a psychological war they launched to influence voting," he said when asked about Kharazi's claim.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/12/worldupdates/2009-06-12T162002Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-402833-1&sec=Worldupdates

[DCBob]

41. I really have no faith in the Iranian election system but I suspect..

the leadership realizes the people really want to dump Ahmadinejad and will allow the actual election results to go through.

[vaberella]

42. Let's hope this comes through. n/t

[davidpdx]

40. If ever there is a time to pray for something it's now

Let's hope Ahmadinejad doesn't get reelected.

[grantcart]

44. Guardian is running a live blog from Tehran

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2009/jun/12/iran-middleeast