Officials dismissed rigging allegations in Iran's presidential election today, clearing the way for a run-off vote that could have a major impact on relations with the West and the future of fragile reforms.
Friday's run-off will be between the top two candidates in last week's first round, pragmatic former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and hardline Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and many political analysts say the result is unpredictable.
Mr Rafsanjani, 70, bidding to regain the post he held from 1989 to 1997, rebranded himself as a liberal for the campaign, saying the time was right to open a new chapter in Iran-US ties and signalling he would increase social and political freedoms.
His surprise rival Mr Ahmadinejad, 49, who would be Iran's first non-cleric president for 24 years, ran a campaign focusing on the need to tackle poverty and has said resuming talks with Washington would not solve the Islamic Republic's ills.
Iran's hardline Guardian Council, which has the final word on election results, ordered a recount from 100 ballot boxes in four cities after reformists alleged rigging. It was a tiny fraction of tens of thousands of ballot boxes used last week.
“It has been clarified there was no discrepancy in the election results,” the council said after the recount.
It said fifth-placed reformist candidate Mostafa Moin had asked for a postponement of the run-off. Third-placed reformist cleric Mehdi Karroubi had said some Ahmadinejad votes were paid for with bribes.