Iran: Khamenei Rejects Idea Elections Have Been Rigged

The Iranian Supreme Leader has denied the existence of any form of systematic violation of elections to date and said election organizers should be wary of “infiltrators”.

In a meeting with Friday Mass Imams, Ayatollah Khamenei said on Monday January 4 that elections are of vital importance and he once against warned against “the infiltration of the enemy” in the elections.

Iranians will go to the polls in March to elect members of the Assembly of Experts and Parliament. Conservative factions of the establishment are seriously concerned about reformists and moderate elements gaining a majority in either of the two government bodies.

The 2009 presidential election triggered widespread protests across the country with accusations of vote fraud. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory was challenged by reformists candidates MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who have been under house arrest since 2011.

The Iranian leader, who at the time denied appeals for a vote recount, stressed today that the vote fraud allegations in 2009 caused “heavy damage” to the country that has been “irreparable”.

The Iranian leader accused the United States of trying to gain influence in the country by infiltrating its elections.