Iran chooses conservative for presidency

Ultra-conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has won Iran's presidency by an overwhelming vote, decisively shutting reformists out of government and threatening to lead the country back toward the restrictions of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Interior Ministry gave Ahmadinejad 62.2% of the vote over his moderate rival, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, who received nearly 35.3%. The ministry posted a notice in its headquarters declaring Ahmadinejad the winner. The rest of the ballots were deemed invalid.