Deadly election unrest in western Iran
(AFP)
27 April 2008
TEHRAN - Up to five people were killed in western Iran when supporters of a candidate for parliament protested in front of a town hall against rumours of election fraud, reports said on Sunday.
The riot took place in an electoral district in the western province of Ilam on Friday during the second round run-offs of the Iranian parliamentary polls. The local MP, Darioush Ghanbari, said the protest started when his supporters gathered in front of the town hall to demonstrate against rumours that the results would be changed in favour of one of his rivals. The rumours turned out to be false as he was re-elected to parliament. "Following these rumours, my supporters gathered in front of the town hall and due to weakness on the part of local officials, five people were killed and 30 others wounded," he told the moderate Kargozaran daily. It was not made clear how the victims had died. The hardline daily Jomhouri Eslami quoted a local official as saying the riot had caused the death of "one or two people." "The supporters of one of the candidates held a demonstration Friday following rumours and attacked banks and public buildings," it said.
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