IRNA: Iran's Rezaei withdraws election complaints

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TEHRAN, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran's former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezaei has withdrew his complaints filed to the Guardian Council about the disputed presidential election, the official IRNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

"The current political, social and security situation has entered a sensitive and decisive phase, which is more important than the election," Rezaei said in a letter late Tuesday to Secretary of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati.

"I feel it is my responsibility to encourage myself and others to control the current situation," Rezaei said. "I announce that I renounce following up on my complaints."

"Considering my pledge to be an eternal warrior of the Islamic revolution, leader and the people, I announce that I renounce following up on my complaints," he added.

Rezaei also cited shortage of time as the reason for withdrawing his complaints.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday accepted the Guardian Council's request to extend by five days the deadline for the investigation into the complaints over vote irregularities.

In a letter to the supreme leader, the election watchdog has asked for more time to remove any ambiguity over the disputed election.

On June 13, Iran's Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli said incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won 62.63 percent of the total ballots, while his main rival Mir-Hossein Mousavi got 33.75 percent.

The other two candidates -- former Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi and Rezaei -- each got less than 2 percent of the total ballots.

After the official declaration, all the three defeated candidates filed complaints over irregularities in the election, while Mousavi and Karroubi have demanded an annulment of the election.

Mousavi's supporters have participated in massive rallies in Tehran and other cities over the past days.

Khamenei called for calm and patience last Friday and ruled out any vote rigging in the recent presidential election.