Double Trouble in Iran

Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has already declared victory today, after officials reported that he has taken 66% of vote; the count is currently 68% complete. But his rival candidate, the reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi, also came out with a victory declaration, claiming to have won with a considerable margin.

While the official count does seem to favor Ahmadinejad, Mousavi has protested, claiming that irregularities in voting procedure have skewed results in favor of his opponent.

"[We] are waiting for the counting of votes to officially end and explanations of these irregularities to be given," the reformist told the press. The alleged irregularities include shortage of voting materials, such as ballots, at key precincts; if true, this could have resulted in millions of citizens being denied the opportunity to vote.

The shortages are supposed to have been worst in cities and other highly-populated areas, where Mousavi is supposed to command a large constituency. Conversely, there were very few shortages reported in rural areas, where the population is more thinly distributed and tends to favor the hardline right-wing Ahmadinejad.

The implications of a contested outcome in this election may be more troubling than a mere delay of political process. Both the nation and the entire world has been watching this election closely; the result is a matter of interest for many. Ahmadinejad has been an incredibly controversial figure during his four-year reign. 

There are a great number of people, bot in Iran and in the rest of the world, that would be glad to see a new face in the Iranian Presidency. It remains to be seen how officials from other nations will comment on the election controversy; American President Barack Obama has been quoted as saying he is "excited" to see this sort of debate occurring as the result of a public's interest in their nation's politics.

If the allegations of voting irregularities prove true, then the official reaction of the US, and the world as well, may not be limited to excitement for long.