Election Controversy

I've spent the last day or so devouring Internet reports out of Iran, where the streets are boiling with unsettled protestors and heavyhanded police in the wake of last week's controversial presidential elections. In case you've been hiding under a rock somewhere, here's the wrap-up.

Last week, Iranian officials announced that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been re-elected by a landslide. The result was surprising, to say the least, to opponent Mir Hussein Moussavi, who had enjoyed strong backing throughout Iran. Also raising eyebrows was the fact that election results were announced hours after the polls closed, although the ballots were handwritten.
Moussavi's supporters have not taken the news lying down, but instead have taken to the streets to voice their protests of an election where their votes seemed not to matter. Much of the pro-democracy organization seems to be taking place online. Twitter has risen as a particularly powerful tool for protestors, with organizers using the medium to spread word about plans as well as sharing photos and video taken at the scene of the events.

In recent days officials have announced that they will recount some votes in order to further verify the validity of the election. Opposition protesters are not satisfied with this offer, fearing that the recount is merely a ploy to legitimize a suspect result. Instead, they are demanding a revote.

No one knows what will happen next, although Parag Khanna, in an analysis of the situation for CNN, said "the most likely scenario" is that the recount will merely validate Ahmadinejad;s reelection. In the meantime, foreign journalists have been confined to their hotel rooms and banned from going out on the street. The Iranian soccer team showed up for a match today in South Korea wearing the green armbands of Moussavi's supporters, only to return after halftime, minus the green.

This Youtube video is a chilling look at what is happening on the ground in Tehran. Warning: it is violent. This compilation of photos from CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour, tells the story better than words. This photo collection on http://www.boston.com/ is the best I've seen.
Here are a couple of pictures, obtained via Twitter (where else?) from the events of the last several days.