Clashes break out after Ahmadinejad wins vote

Iranian riot police clashed with supporters of the main opposition candidate in disputed presidential elections as incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner by a landslide today.

Demonstrators wearing the trademark green colour of Mir Hossein Mousavi chanted slogans condemning the results that gave 62.6% of the vote to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Protesters set fire to tyres outside the Interior Ministry in the most serious unrest in Tehran in a decade.

Witnesses also said a commercial bank elsewhere in the city was set on fire.

Police attacked the demonstrators near the Interior Ministry, where the election results were announced, beating them with clubs and smashing cars. Police also moved to disperse any large gatherings of people around the city.

In another main street of Tehran some 300 young people blocked the avenue by forming a human chain chanted “Ahmadi, shame on you. Leave the government alone.”

Iranian authorities said that Mousavi only took 33.75% of the vote in a contest that was widely perceived to be much closer than the official results.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, thanked the people for their record 85% participation and warned opposition candidates to “avoid provocative behaviour”.

“I assume that enemies intend to eliminate the sweetness of the election with their hostile provocation,” he said in his televised address.

He called the results a “divine assessment” and called on all the candidates to support the president.

Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli, who supervised the elections and heads the nation's police forces warned people not to join any ``unauthorised gatherings'' as he gave detailed results for the elections.

“If there are gatherings in some places, people should not join them,” he said. “Let’s not give opportunities to people who aren’t affiliated to any candidates.”

He added that in Tehran itself, Mousavi won more votes than the incumbent.

Overall, however, Mousavi only took 33.75% of the vote in a contest that was widely perceived to be much closer than the official results.