Ahmadinejad set to be confirmed as Iranian president

12:52, 3 August 2009

MOSCOW. August 3. KAZINFORM Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is expected to officially confirm on Monday Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the winner of the country's disputed June elections, Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

Iranian President Ahmadinejad, 52, won a landslide victory during elections on June 12 amid opposition claims that the vote was rigged. He is set to be sworn in on Wednesday.

According to official results, Ahmadinejad won the election with more than 24 million of 40 million ballots cast. The runner-up, Mir Hossein Mousavi, claimed the reelection of the hard-line president was marred by numerous irregularities.

However, Iran's constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, confirmed the result of the disputed presidential election after finishing a partial recount.

Ahmadinejad's victory triggered mass protests by Mousavi's supporters. Regional media reports said over 20 people were killed and about 1,000 arrested in post-election violence, Iran's most severe unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.

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