Opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who was defeated by sitting President Ahmadinejad, responded on Sunday to his supporters and the unrest that erupted in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, calling for an annulment of the election results in a public letter published on his website.
“Dear people, today, in a letter that I presented to The Guardian Council, I have asked for the annulment of the results of the latest elections and I know this to be the only resolution for gaining the public confidence and the support of the people for the government,” said Mousavi.
“My repeated suggestion as your servant is that you continue your civil and legal opposition all around the country, in a calm manner and observing anti-conflict fundamentals.”
Mousavi went on to request a permit for a peaceful rally for Monday.
“We have asked the responsible people to issue a permit for a mass rally in all the cities in Iran so that the people will have an opportunity to show their opposition towards the results of these elections and the way it was conducted,” he added.
Mousavi’s letter was published soon after President Ahmadinejad’s public victory rally and speech held in Madaan Valiasr in Tehran on Sunday.
Protests Continue
Public unrest amongst Mousavi supporters has continued amid rumors that the election was rigged, with people taking to streets , marching, chanting, and throwing rocks at riot police and Ahmadinejad supporters.
The protests erupted soon after the election results were announced Saturday and have been the most significant of protests in the last 30 years since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 which brought about the current Islamic Regime.
Cell phone access across Iran has been down, cutting access to mobile communication, and SMS messaging, seen by some analysts to be an attempt to stifle communication about future protests among Mousavi supporters. Access to Internet has also been blocked off for the most part, however, messages about protest still get circulated via email and instant messaging.
“Tonight at tweleve go to your roofs and shout slogans,” one message circulated through instant message on Sunday read.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, appearing on Meet the Press Sunday morning, said that that the Obama administration is closely monitoring the situation in Iran.
When asked by moderator David Gregory, if he thought the votes were legitimate, Biden responded,
“That's the question, is this the response, is this the accurate response we're getting? Is this the result of the Iranian people's wishes? The hope is that the Iranian people, all their votes have been counted, they've been counted fairly,“ said Biden.
