Iran vote body to rule on election appeal in 10 days

Reuters: Iran's top legislative body, the Guardian Council, said on Monday it had received two official complaints from defeated presidential candidates and would issue its ruling within 10 days.

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran's top legislative body, the Guardian Council, said on Monday it had received two official complaints from defeated presidential candidates and would issue its ruling within 10 days.

A spokesman for the council, which must formally approve the election results for the outcome to stand, said it had received appeals from moderate former prime minister Mirhossein Mousavi and former head of the Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezaie.

Mousavi said on Sunday he had urged the council to annul the result of Friday's election, in which hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a resounding victory.

"After reviewing their complaints, the result will be announced to the candidates," the ISNA news agency quoted Guardian Council spokesman Abbasali Kadkhodai as saying.

"Mousavi and Rezaie appealed yesterday. After the official announcement (of the appeal) the Guardian Council has seven to 10 days to see if it was a healthy election or not," the Kadkhodai said.

Ahmadinejad and the Interior Ministry have denied allegations of fraud in the election, and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on Iranians to support Ahmadinejad.