Iran election race tightest since the Islamic Revolution

IRANIANS went to the polls yesterday in a high-stakes election shaping up as the closest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with young people disillusioned by the theocracy calling for a boycott of the balloting.

None of the seven candidates is expected to get the 50% support needed to win outright, meaning the two top vote-getters will likely meet in a run-off election.

Reformers won the past two presidential votes in landslides - but their supporters have been alienated after hardliners blocked outgoing President Mohammad Khatami's attempts at change.

Reformers called for a boycott of the vote, convinced change can't come through the ballot box.

That has thrown the race wide open, with Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was president from 1989-'97, seen as the front-runner. A pragmatist, he claims support among both reformers and conservatives.

Second place appears to be a contest between reformist Mostafa Moin and a former police chief, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, 44, who appeals to conservatives. But they share one trait: seeking to become the first non-cleric president since Mohammad Ali Rajai was assassinated in 1981.

Mr Moin's supporters have been campaigning hard for the young to ignore the boycott calls and turn out in large numbers.

Iranian state television showed long lines outside polling stations, and voting was extended by two hours to 9pm for Iran's 46.7 million eligible voters. There was no independent indication of the turnout.

Iran's leadership, meanwhile, bristled at sharp criticism the day before from US President George W Bush, who called the elections undemocratic and designed to keep clerics in power.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged voters to flood the polling stations to silence critics.

"They don't want an [Islamic country] to have a real democratic system," said Khamenei, who directs the non-elected theocracy whose powers dwarf both the presidency and parliament.

Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi said the vote would be a lesson in democracy for its Middle East neighbours. "Bush's comments will only make our people more stubborn to vote in big numbers," he said.

As Friday prayers ended at Tehran University, an elderly devotee shouted anti-American slogans and promised to vote for one of the most conservative candidates, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a little-known figure until he was chosen by hardliners as Tehran mayor last year.

"I will vote for Ahmadinejad because he is the one committed to fighting corruption. And I'm voting because my vote will be a slap in the face of America," Mahdi Mirmalek said adding a "Death to America" slogan as he walked away.

The hardline vote, however, will likely be split among three candidates: Qalibaf, Ahmadinejad and former radio and television chief Ali Larijani.

Mr Khatami told a news conference that he hoped for a high voter turnout, to strengthen stability and democracy.

"I hope the next president will come with development in mind," he said.

His brother, Mohammed Reza Khatami, predicted that Moin, a 54-year-old former culture minister, would win if the voter turnout surpassed 60%. Mr Moin has said he will make Mr Khatami's brother his vice president if he wins.

The outcome carries added significance since the next president will influence Iran's negotiations with the West over its nuclear programme, and its role as a patron of the Shi'ite Muslim majority in neighbouring Iraq.