AFP: Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said Saturday he was "deeply concerned" over reports of voting irregularities in Iran's presidential elections.
NIAGARA FALLS, Canada (AFP) — Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said Saturday he was "deeply concerned" over reports of voting irregularities in Iran's presidential elections.
"Canada is deeply concerned by reports of voting irregularities in the Iranian election," Cannon told reporters.
"We're troubled by reports of intimidation, of opposition candidates' offices, by security forces," he said, adding that Canadian embassy officials in Tehran were closely monitoring the situation.
Hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner by a landslide in Iran's hotly-disputed presidential vote, triggering riots by opposition supporters and furious complaints of cheating from defeated rivals.
Police clashed with protestors in unrest not seen for a decade as thousands of supporters of main challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi took to the streets shouting "Down with the Dictator" after final results showed Ahmadinejad winning almost 63 percent of the vote.
Moderate ex-premier Mousavi cried foul over election irregularities and warned the outcome of the vote could lead to "tyranny," as some of his supporters were beaten by riot police.
The result, giving Ahmadinejad another four-year term, has dashed Western hopes of change in the country and set the stage for a possible domestic power struggle.
Cannon also said: "Canada is calling on Iranian authorities to conduct a fair and transparent accounting of all ballots."
