Iran says partial recount shows election valid

Tehran: Iran's election oversight body on Monday declared the hotly disputed presidential vote to be valid after a partial recount, rejecting opposition allegations of fraud and further silencing calls for a new vote.

State television reported that the Guardian Council presented the conclusion in a letter to the Interior Minister following a recount of a what was described as a randomly selected 10 percent of the almost 40 million ballots cast June 12.

The "meticulous and comprehensive examination" revealed only "slight irregularities that are common to any election and needless of attentionegularities that are common to any election and needless of attention," Guardian Council head Ahmed Jannati said in a letter, according to the state TV channel IRIB.

Opposition leader Mir Hussain Mousavi claims he, not incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was the rightful winner and has called for a new election.

"From today on, the file on the presidential election has been closed," Guardian Council spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei said on state-run Press TV.

Mousavi supporters have taken to the streets in protest after the election, outraged by official results that gave Ahmadinejad the victory by a roughly 2-1 margin.

The recount conducted Monday had appeared to be an attempt to cultivate the image that Iran was seriously addressing fraud claims.