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Thursday, Jun 16, 2005

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International

Iran's reformist threatens to quit poll

Robert Tait

Mostafa Moin protests against violent attacks on his supporters by religious extremists

FRONTRUNNER: Mostafa Moin (second left), leading reformist candidate in Iran's presidential elections, and his wife Zahra Dastgheyb Lari on their way to a rally in the Khurasan Province on the last day of his campaign on Wednesday. — PHOTO: AP

ISFAHAN (IRAN): The leading reformist candidate in Iran's presidential election has threatened to pull out in protest at violent attacks on his supporters by religious extremists.

In an interview with this correspondent, Mostafa Moin also implied a possible link between the assaults and a spate of bombings that has killed 10 persons in the run-up to Friday's poll. He said the violence was aimed at persuading people to vote for one of the hardline militarist candidates in the eight-man race.

``I have written to the authorities and the people in charge calling them to find the roots of these violent actions [against his supporters] and also the bombings,'' he said. ``I think the purpose of these acts and violent confrontations is to lead us into a situation where there is a low turnout or where people change their voting intentions. If they create tense circumstances, then people might think that if they vote for a military candidate, there will be peace and stability.''

Ex-Minister beaten up

On Saturday, Ebrahim Yazdi, a former Foreign Minister and leader of the Iran Freedom Movement, became the latest Moin supporter to be beaten up after arriving at the city's airport.

Iranian authorities say three little-known Arab separatist groups, aided by foreign intelligence agencies, have claimed responsibility for the Khuzestan bombings on Sunday. The claim is disputed. No group has admitted the Teheran attacks, which the Government says were not related to the Ahvaz incident.

Speaking aboard his campaign bus in Isfahan province, Mr. Moin, the Islamic Iran Participation Front candidate, did not say who he thought was behind the blasts. Asked if he believed the attacks had official approval, he replied: ``I do not consider it improbable. If they continue in this way, my supporters will hold an emergency meeting to study the situation and they will reconsider our participation in the election.

``Our preference is to continue until the end, but if we consider that the first rule and regulation of democracy, that is, a free election, is not observed, then we will have a decision to take. If this continues, the election will be under serious threat.''

Any withdrawal could seriously dent voter turnout, which the regime publicly insists must be high to improve Iran's democratic credentials. But a low turnout could benefit one of the four hardline conservative candidates whose support lies within a small hard core of religious voters more likely to turn out.

Most likely beneficiary

The most likely beneficiary would be Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, a former national police chief and revolutionary guard air force commander, and also the favoured candidate of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Ayatollah Khamenei has described voting in Friday's poll as a ``religious duty.''

Polls have shown a surge in support for Mr. Moin, putting him second to the frontrunner, the centrist ex-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and now ahead of Mr Qalibaf.

Mr. Moin, a former Higher Education Minister under Mr. Khatami, was initially disqualified from standing by the Guardian Council, an unelected body that vets candidate for their loyalty to the Islamic system. He was reinstated by Ayatollah Khamenei after reformers threatened a voter boycott in protest at the wholesale disqualification of candidates.

The attacks on Mr. Moin supporters appear to have coincided with his rise in the polls. In one assault, Behzad Nabavi, a former parliamentary Speaker, was heckled and then assaulted by more than 100 hardliners as he tried to address a pro-Moin rally in the holy city of Qom, home of Iran's leading ayatollahs.

Mr. Nabavi was left with a black eye and a cut forehead. He described the beating as his worst since he was interrogated by the Savak, the Shah's notorious secret police.

The assaults reflect the bitter hostility towards Mr. Moin from hardliners. He has angered them by saying he would consider stalling Iran's nuclear programme under certain circumstances and by promising to appoint a human rights minister and release political prisoners.

He said much of the criticism of Iran's human rights record was deserved. ``If the criticism was not justified, I would not be so concerned,'' he said.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005

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