Dejected Iranian reformists urged to rally behind ex-president

IRANIAN reformists urged their dejected supporters to rally behind pragmatic cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to prevent hard-line challenger Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from winning a presidential run-off.

“We should use our full force to defend Rafsanjani. We should form an anti-fascist front,” said Hamid Reza Jalalipour, a leader of the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front.

Similarly, backers of Mr Ahmadinejad urged conservatives to unite in support of the man who stunned Iran by almost overhauling elder statesman Mr Rafsanjani in Friday’s vote.