Iran: Council appoints 'commission' to probe election

Press TV, June 26, 2009

The Guardian Council, Iran's election watchdog, forms a "special commission" to prepare a report on the disputed presidential election.

In an interview with Press TV on Thursday, Guardian Council Spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei said in addition to a five-day extension for filing complaints, the Council had formed a "special commission" to "secure the additional confidence of the complaining candidates and their supporters."

He added that the commission was composed of six "outstanding political, social and religious figures" and the representatives of the two defeated candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi who persist with their complaints and demand a re-run.

A third candidate, Mohsen Rezaei, has withdrawn his complaint.

Members of the special commission include former foreign minister and current foreign affairs adviser to the Leader Ali Akbar Velayati, former Majlis speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Shahid Beheshti University Goudarz Eftekhar-Jahromi, Chief Prosecutor Qurban-Ali Dorri-Nadjafabadi, Majlis deputy Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi, and the Leader's representative at the Martyrs Foundation Mohammad-Hassan Rahimian.

The commission will supervise the recounting of about 10 percent of the ballot boxes to be "chosen at random," which Kadkhodaei may be broadcast live.

Kadkhodaei said candidates had 24 hours to name their representatives.

He added that the Guardian Council had called on all political and religious figures to send in any "ambiguities, questions or documented issues for consideration" and that the Council had contacted a number of social and political figures in this regard.

Iran became the scene of opposition rallies last week after the announcement of the results of the 10th presidential election, which declared Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the winner with nearly two-thirds of the votes.

At least 20 people were killed and many others injured when some protests turned violent. Tehran blames 'saboteurs' for the deaths of the Iranian protesters.

ZAP/HGH