IRPO ELECTION SPOT REPORT JULY 1

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 068539 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM IR SUBJECT: IRPO ELECTION SPOT REPORT JULY 1 ¶1. (U). In an effort to improve dissemination, following is the unedited Post election spot report prepared by the Iran Regional Presence Office in Dubai (IRPO). These reports comprise input from all Iran Watchers as well as press reports. Note carefully that much of this information may be unconfirmed. Feedback on these reports is welcome; please send to NEA-Iran-DC-DL@state.gov. July 1 -- 4:30 PM in Iran: (U) Ahmadinejad Cancels Trip to AU Summit (U) According to Fars News, a spokesman from Ahmadinejad,s office announced this morning that Ahmadinejad,s trip to the African Union summit in Libya July 1 -3 has been cancelled. The spokesman provided no explanation for why the trip was called off. (U) Etemad-e Melli Prevented from Printing Newspaper after Karrubi Refuses to Recognize Ahmadinejad,s Win -- Last night, after Karrubi's statement was released, representatives of the Tehran Prosecutor and the Culture Ministry prevented the publication of Etemad-e Melli newspaper,8 Etemad-e Melli said on its website. Karrubi,s statement last night, which symbolically began with a phrase from the Qur,an that is used to announce someone,s death, denounced Ahmadinejad,s victory as illegitimate and engineered and condemned the violent crackdown on protesters. Karrubi said that he would not be attending Ahmadinejad,s swearing-in ceremony. He ridiculed the idea that he and Mousavi, two leading figures of the Islamic Republic, could lead a &velvet revolution.8 Karrubi asked his supporters not to lose their &political spirit8 and encouraged them to strengthen NGO,s and join political parties, because Iran,s republicanism, Islamism, and nationalism are all at stake. (U) Mousavi,s Chief of Staff Calls Guardian Council Verdict &Illegal -- According to Radio Farda and Tabnak, last night, Ali Akbar Mohtashami Pour, Mousavi,s Chief of Staff, denounced the Guardian Council,s confirmation of Ahmadinejad,s victory and suggested a number of solutions to further evaluate the election results, including comparing the vote counts recorded by the candidates, representatives at each polling location. (U) Guardian Council Says 75% Fewer Poll Complaints Compared to 2008 Majles Election -- According to Fars News, Guardian Council Spokesman Kadkhodaei announced in a press conference yesterday that the June 12 presidential election had 75% fewer polling complaints than the 2008 8th Majles election. 
Kadkhodaei went on to describe the Guardian Council,s verdict as a confirmation of the Islamic Republic,s system. (U) Reformist Parties Condemn Guardian Council Confirmation of Election Results -- According to Radio Farda, Rouhanioun Mobrez denounced the verdict as &unfair,8 while Jebehey Mosharekat and Sazman Mojahedin Enghelab Eslami called Ahmadinejad,s government &illegal.8 (U) Prominent Cleric Denounces Guardian Council Investigation -- BBC Persian reports that Ayatollah Taheri Esfehani issued a message yesterday calling Ahmadinejad,s government an &illegal usurper.8 (U) Press TV Anchors Resigns over &Bias -- Presenter Nick Ferrari has quit his show on Press TV due to the station,s political bias. &I imagine they,ve been told what to do, and I can,t reconcile that with working there,8 Ferrari told the London Times. (U) Continued Dispute over Tehran University Attacks -- Tabnak reports that the head of the Majles committee tasked with investigating the Tehran University dormitory attacks said that Farhad Rahbar, the president of the university, gave the police and Basijis permission to enter the dormitories. Rahbar denies allowing them entry. At least seven students were killed in the attack, while an unknown number of students were detained. (U) Numerous Reformers Reportedly Ready to Confess -- According to media reports, a number of leading Reformers who are being detained have confessed under torture. Javan News reports that Mohammad Ali Abtahi, an advisor to Karrubi, has been held in detention for at least 10 days and is ready to confess. Fars News reports that Mostafa Tajzadeh has already confessed to crimes. When Fars asked Tajzadeh,s wife for a comment after his confession, she said &maybe he was under torture by mercenaries like you. (U) Ahmadinejad Advisor Says Obama Changed his Tune due to Zionist Pressure -- In an interview with Press TV last night, STATE 00068539 002 OF 002 Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi, an advisor to Ahmadinejad, said President Obama,s recent remarks show that he is under pressure from the Zionists. Hashemi urged Obama to reconsider his stance on Iran in order to pave the way for positive interactions between the two countries. (U) Fars News Provides More Information on UK Embassy Staff -- Fars News reported today that two of the British Embassy staff recently detained had played a &remarkable role8 in recent unrest and were &main elements8 behind the protests. The report identified the staff members by their initials and claimed that one previously worked for Press TV. EU member states have threatened to recall their ambassadors for seven days this weekend if the embassy staff is not released. CLINTON