Ahmadinejad's empire of beggars

Fraud... that is what is now realized by most observers, both within and outside of Iran, as being the cause of the outcome of the Islamic Republic's 10th presidential elections, held on the 22nd of Khordad, 1388 A.P. (June 12, 2009). Yet one must be astute about such things and understand that vote rigging is not merely a process to obtain or retain political power, but is usually buttressed by powerful hidden forces that guide the actions of those engaging in such activities.

So we must now ask, who was the real winner of this election? Was it the Islamic Republic system as a whole? Was it a certain faction within the contours of the power struggle that is now open for all to see amongst Iran's elite? Was it only the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that walked away the true victor....or, was it the brilliant maneuvering of one Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the Islamic Republic's convoluted labyrinth that ensured he remain at the seat of government?

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A new chapter in Iran's history

June 12th 2009 will go down as a turning point in the history of Iranians' awakening.

The race for the presidential election officially started three weeks ago. The reform movement had long been pronounced dead, following the inability of the former President Khatami to deliver on promises he had made. The reformists voters were expected to sit home.

The reformists could have easily been disqualified. They were allowed to stand, however, so that the presidential election would have a pretense of competition; so that the regime could claim legitimacy by luring people into participating. Ahmadinejad was expected to win.

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Iranian reactions from across social media outlets

Following Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's 'landslide' victory in Saturday's national elections in Iran, reports of violent protests - with video and photo evidence - have circulated at breakneck speed on Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets as well as on non-mainstream media websites.

News that Ahmadinejad was re-elected for a second presidency term when his main rival Mir Hossein Mousavi was expected to win, largely due to the 'young' vote, drew thousands into the streets of Teheran and across other cities in Iran to demonstrate on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Anti-riot police have reportedly wounded dozens of male and female protesters. 

The disappointment has been rampant among Iran's young, educated population. As one 'facebooker' put it: "This is not the will of the Iranian people; they are mostly in shock or despair, and the braver ones are being mercilessly beaten on the streets."

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