**Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has defended his June re-election as the world’s “most free” despite ongoing opposition claims that it was rigged.**In a televised address, Mr Ahmadinejad blamed foreign powers for trying to sabotage the vote.
He said “significant” changes would be made to his government, in the fields of employment, housing and culture.
Earlier, opposition leaders criticised the heavy security response to mass protests after the disputed election.
Runner-up Mir Hossein Mousavi’s website published what it said was a joint statement backed by fellow defeated candidate Mehdi Karoubi and former President Mohammad Khatami, calling for the release of people detained during the post-election protests.
IRAN UNREST
- 12 June Presidential election saw incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected with 63% of vote
- Main challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi called for result to be annulled on grounds of electoral fraud
- Street protests saw at least 17 people killed and foreign media restricted
Analysis: Crisis set to rage on
More than 1,000 opposition supporters and prominent reformists were reportedly arrested in the aftermath of the election. Although many have since been released, it is possible hundreds remain in prison.
Mr Ahmadinejad called the vote “the most free election held anywhere in the world” and said Iran had entered a “new era”.
He said: “The structure of the government should change based on the requirements of today… The changes in the government will be significant.”
Mr Ahmadinejad looked unperturbed by the ongoing election dispute, but he knows he soon faces the challenge of presenting his new cabinet to a parliament quite likely to be hostile, says the BBC’s former Tehran correspondent, Jon Leyne.