A supporter of Mir Hossein Mousavi attends a campaign rally at Haydarniya Stadium
Iran's rival candidates in Friday's presidential election have accused each other of planning to rig the vote.
Officials representing the two reformist candidates, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, have written to the authorities expressing concern about results being manipulated.
Meanwhile, the political chief of Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards, Yadollah Javani, accused the reformists of planning similar rigging tactics, and claimed Mr Mousavi's followers would resort to violence if he lost.
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Mr Javani, whose militia organisation sees itself as the ultimate defenders of Iran's Islamic revolution, also warned that any attempts as a "Velvet revolution" by Mr Mousavi's supporters would be "nipped in the bud".
In the run-up to the election, Mr Mousavi's campaigners have organised huge demonstrations and human chains across Tehran, wearing green wristbands and neckscarves to identity themselves.
Mr Javani, however, described them as "extremists" and said his pro-regime militias would not tolerate them remaining as a political force after the elections.
His comments have underlined fears that what has been a largely peaceful and goodnatured election campaign could yet turn ugly after the result.
Diplomats in Tehran fear the reformist camp, whose members want greater political freedoms, could well take to the streets if the election does not go their way.
The crowds of pro and anti-government voters who have turned Tehran into giant carnival in the past week disappeared last night. The authorities have banned campaigning in the 24 hours before the election.
Polls open at 8am today, with turnout among the 46 million voters expected to be higher than previous contests. A final result is expected by late on Saturday.
Little reliable polling information is available, but most observers believe Mr Mousavi is running roughly equal to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meaning the vote is likely to go to a second round tie-breaker next Friday.
The letter warning of vote rigging was sent by the Mousavi and Karoubi camps to Iran's Guardian Council, a clerical body which monitors the conduct of the election campaign.
It accused Iran's interior ministry of printing some 2.6 million more ballot papers than originally stated, implying that these could be used for fraudulent purposes. It added: "Supervision over one-third of the ballot boxes has been taken away from the police and given to the Revolutionary Guards, which is against the law and prior norms."
Iran's election authorities have insisted that the contest will be conducted in a fair and free manner. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has already criticised the acrimonious exchanges between the candidates, reminding them to conduct debate in a "religious" manner.
Meanwhile, the political chief of Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards, Yadollah Javani, accused the reformists of planning similar rigging tactics, and claimed Mr Mousavi's followers would resort to violence if he lost.
Related Articles
Iran's war veterans turn against Ahmadinejad
Iran elections: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces run-off in poll
At last, a real election in Iran ? but it won't help relations with the West
US-style electioneering shines a harsh light on Iran's ruling class
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls Holocaust a "great deception"
Mr Javani, whose militia organisation sees itself as the ultimate defenders of Iran's Islamic revolution, also warned that any attempts as a "Velvet revolution" by Mr Mousavi's supporters would be "nipped in the bud".
In the run-up to the election, Mr Mousavi's campaigners have organised huge demonstrations and human chains across Tehran, wearing green wristbands and neckscarves to identity themselves.
Mr Javani, however, described them as "extremists" and said his pro-regime militias would not tolerate them remaining as a political force after the elections.
His comments have underlined fears that what has been a largely peaceful and goodnatured election campaign could yet turn ugly after the result.
Diplomats in Tehran fear the reformist camp, whose members want greater political freedoms, could well take to the streets if the election does not go their way.
The crowds of pro and anti-government voters who have turned Tehran into giant carnival in the past week disappeared last night. The authorities have banned campaigning in the 24 hours before the election.
Polls open at 8am today, with turnout among the 46 million voters expected to be higher than previous contests. A final result is expected by late on Saturday.
Little reliable polling information is available, but most observers believe Mr Mousavi is running roughly equal to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meaning the vote is likely to go to a second round tie-breaker next Friday.
The letter warning of vote rigging was sent by the Mousavi and Karoubi camps to Iran's Guardian Council, a clerical body which monitors the conduct of the election campaign.
It accused Iran's interior ministry of printing some 2.6 million more ballot papers than originally stated, implying that these could be used for fraudulent purposes. It added: "Supervision over one-third of the ballot boxes has been taken away from the police and given to the Revolutionary Guards, which is against the law and prior norms."
Iran's election authorities have insisted that the contest will be conducted in a fair and free manner. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has already criticised the acrimonious exchanges between the candidates, reminding them to conduct debate in a "religious" manner.
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