Iran's raucous election campaign goes quiet {election's tomorrow}

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer Nasser Karimi, Associated Press Writer – 56 mins ago


TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's raucous election campaign fell silent a day before the vote as rallies were barred Thursday to give the public time to reflect on whether they want to keep hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power or replace him with a reformist more open to closer ties with the West.

The campaign reached a crescendo in the past few days with dueling rallies by supporters of Ahmadinejad and his main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, that drew tens of thousands into the streets of Tehran. Fervent, youthful supporters of Mousavi accused the president of undermining Iran's international standing with his confrontational style and of devastating the economy.

The stakes are extremely high for Iran — the new leader must decide how to respond to President Barack Obama's offer for dialogue after a nearly 30-year diplomatic chill. The Obama administration is cautiously watching the vote for signs the Islamic Republic may be willing to engage, but U.S. officials have meager expectations for change.

Tehran residents went about removing posters and banners from buildings and cars as campaigning officially ended early Thursday. State media and the candidate's Web sites encouraged people to vote on Friday.

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The message from the Guards' political chief, Yadollah Javani, {would crush any attempt at a popular "revolution" inspired by the huge rallies and street parties calling for more freedoms} appeared aimed at rattling Mousavi's backers just before the polls open Friday and to warn that it would not tolerate the formation of a post-election political force under the banner of Mousavi's "green movement" — the signature color of his campaign.



Mousavi supporter at a street rally in Tehran

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090611/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_election_24

Seems to have great support among younger voters and moderates.

Little power in real terms, as I understand it, yet the president is the international representative for the nation.

the Mullahs have alot of say in their country.

Some of the rallies were big and the rhetoric hot.