Iranians vote in close presidential polls

Iranian presidential reformist candidate Mostafa Moin (C) watches as his wife Zahra Assadirad casts her ballot in Tehran yesterday. Iran's reformist opposition expressed confidence that its candidate Mostafa Moin was well placed to spring a stunning upset in the presidential election. PHOTO: AFP

Queues formed at some polling stations in Tehran soon after they opened in hot sunshine for Iran's 47 million, mostly young, voters. Official results are due on Saturday.

Many Iranians say they will not endorse a system where real power is held by unelected clerics who barred all but a handful of more than 1,000 presidential hopefuls. Yet the poll has aroused more interest than expected among voters.

"Even if we think it is pre-cooked, we should vote. I'll vote for Moin," said Siavosh Kayyal, 22, a computer engineer, referring to leading reformist candidate Mostafa Moin.

Keeping up a barrage of US criticism, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said democracy in Iran was "moving backwards" and Washington would watch to see if Tehran adopted a course "more in step with what is going on in the region."

President Bush, who labelled Iran part of an axis of evil in 2002, attacked its "oppressive record." Iran denies US claims it seeks nuclear weapons and backs terrorism.

Bush's pre-emptive attack on the election drew derisive responses from many Iranian leaders, including reformists vowing to strengthen democratic institutions and entrench human rights.

"It might not be an ideal election for us, but the basics are there," Moin told Reuters at his campaign headquarters.