Another Victory for Extremism

Ultra-conservative Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held a commanding lead over veteran politician Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in Iran's presidential election run-off, an electoral official said on Saturday.
With 8.6 million votes counted, Ahmadinejad had secured 61.2 percent, an official at the supervisory Guardian Council said.

The same official said turnout was 22 million, or 47 percent, well down on the 63 percent of Iran's 46.7 million eligible voters who cast ballots in an inconclusive first round on June 17.

Electoral officials said Ahmadinejad, 48, who has pledged to tackle poverty and defend Islamic values, appeared assured of victory.

"Poor provinces have voted massively for Ahmadinejad," said an Interior Ministry official, who declined to be named.

Another victory for the neo-cons...
Another sad day...