Conservative candidate Ahmad Tavakoli, who arrived second in Iran's presidential election in Iran, congratulated President Mohammad Khatami on his re-election Sunday, but added he would continue his fight against poverty and official corruption.
In a declaration on state television, Tavakoli, 50, thanked the people for having "favourably responded to his appeal to fight against corruption within the system".
Reformist president Khatami, was re-elected with 77 percent of the vote, while Tavakoli was a distant runner-up with 15.6 percent.
"I would have liked it if the third of voters who abstained had gone to the polling stations, but in any case the elected president is our president and we should support him," Tavakoli, a former labour minister, said.
The official turnout for Friday's poll was around 67 percent. |
