With huge voter turnout and popularity of hardliner President Ahmadinejad waning Iran’s election results have created more tension and rioting in the Tehran and elsewhere. There has been record turnout of voters. There was definitely an anti-incumbency wave. But still President Ahmadinejad got re-elected.

Mir Hossein Mousavi, Centrist candidate for President seemed to be favoured candidate of the voters. It was expected that President Ahmadinejad would lose due to inflation, failing economy and other factors. It was feared President Ahmadinejad would win by unlawful means such as cheating and rigging. Now that he has won there are wide spread protests and riots on the streets of Tehran and other cities.

It is difficult to believe that rule of hardliners will end in Iran so easily. The main Supremo Khamenei who holds absolute power is a hardliner himself. President Ahmadinejad had succeeded him in last elections. The whole of future of Middle East politics, Iran’s new equation with the US depends on the outcome of these elections. It remains to be seen which policies Iran will adopt in next few years.

Via Timesonline/BBC