Tensions flared in Tehran last night as thousands of protesters marched to the state television centre, enraged by the discovery that President Ahmadinejad was being given far more airtime than his opponents.
The demonstration came as a leading conservative accused reformists of fomenting a “velvet revolution”. Yadollah Javani, a leader of the hardline Revolutionary Guards, said that reformists were going to claim vote-rigging if their candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, loses in tomorrow’s presidential elections. He vowed to crush any post-election violence.
As the accusations flew, Hojatoleslam Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former President and powerful cleric, wrote an open letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, complaining about allegations of corruption that Mr Ahmadinejad had levelled against his family in a televised debate last week. He warned that Mr Khamenei’s failure to act against those “lies” could spark social unrest.
“Even if I keep quiet, part of the people, groups and parties will undoubtedly not bear this situation any more and set off social upheavals,” said Hojatoleslam Rafsanjani, who is backing Mr Mousavi.
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Ahmadinejad, defender of the downtrodden… I guess that’s what wins an election in Iran…