Religious 'vote-rigging' buoyed fundamentalist candidate

As Iran faces a stark choice between a conservative cleric and a hardliner in the presidential runoff, details emerged of a campaign by fundamentalists that has put Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in contention for the top office.

Although many Iranians still believe Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani will score an easy win in Friday's voting, the last minute surge in support for the Tehran Mayor has put the result in serious doubt.

Ahmadinejad won decisive backing from the Islamic Basij militia, whose members were instructed to vote for him.

Associates of rival fundamentalist Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said that Basij commanders and right-leaning Friday prayer leaders told conservative families to switch their support from Qalibaf to Ahmadinejad.

Former reformist vice-president Mohammed Ali Abtahi said Basij "organised the armed forces, secured a fatwa in [Ahmadinejad's] support and used intimidation to reduce the reformist vote."

On Thursday, the Ahmadinejad was on 5 per cent of the vote, but this soared to 19 per cent on Saturday. A furious Qalibaf is rumoured to have considered giving his support to Rafsanjani in protest.

But Ahmadinejad's vote was already swelling. Shirzad Bozorghmehr, editor of English language Iran News , said he appealed to the poor as he championed their causes.

"The scale of his support shows there's a large sleeping vote that wasn't active before."

Ahmadinejad was little known before he took control of Tehran in early 2003, the first in a series of electoral setbacks for reformists that also included last February's parliament elections and Friday's presidential poll.

He had previously won plaudits for his efficient running of Ardebil province as Governor-General and has spoken fiercely about protecting Iran's nuclear rights.

His tenure as Tehran Mayor saw an increase in public spending on the poor but also attempts to roll back reformist freedoms.

Ahmadinejad, a former Revolutionary Guard, is believed to be close to Basij and Ansar-e Hizbollah, which shocked the world with their violent attacks on demonstrating reformist students in 1999 and 2003.

He also has a strong relationship with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The heads of the judiciary, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards and the Speaker of Parliament are already close allies and a fundamentalist President would further strengthen their hand.

Although Rafsanjani is close to the clerical elite, he regards the emergence of younger hardliners as a direct challenge to his own power. His camp hopes to inherit all the reformist votes won by Karroubi and Mostafa Moin, as well as non-voters in the first round.

Reformists are openly calling Ahmadinejad a fascist. But it is unclear if they can put aside mistrust for Rafsanjani.

"I hate Rafsanjani so much I will even vote for Ahmadinejad," said a woman buying vine leaves in a middle-class suburb. "But whoever I vote for, I know Rafsanjani will win. It was all decided months ago."

- INDEPENDENT