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Iranian Activists Hold 'Alternative' Vote


Internet activists conducting an alternative to Iran’s official presidential election say the majority of Iranians who participated chose a reformist or moderate to be the Islamic republic's next president.

The alternative election, called We Choose, found 67 percent of the some 5,000 participants voted for reformist or moderate candidates.

Just 5 percent chose conservative candidates.

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, was the alternative poll’s single biggest winner, taking almost 28 percent of the vote.

The alternative election offered Iranians the opportunity to vote for a total of 20 candidates, including the eight originally approved by the Guardians Council to take part in the June 14 official election.

The privately funded virtual vote was chaired by Russian chess grandmaster and human rights activist Garry Kasparov.
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