Presidential candidate former Iranian Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi demanded the government to open the SMS services and permit presence of the presidential candidates' representatives at the polling stations to monitor the elections, the Iranian ILNA news agency reported. The SMS services have been suspended in Iran since yesterday night. Iran's Ministry of Communications has confirmed this information.
The inability to send SMS in Iran on the presidential election day causes suspicion, Chairman of the Committee for preserving votes Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour said, ILNA reported.
Mohtashamipour said his committee should receive data on violations at the polling stations precisely because of SMS-messages.
According to the received data, Iran's Ministry of Communications deliberately created a problem in sending SMS, he said. "A problem has aroused in the system in the morning on June 11 and it was eliminated after our intervention after noon. However, problems were aroused in the system in the evening of June 11 after 23:00."
Mousavi said that some of his representatives were prevented to monitor the elections at polling stations.
Former Speaker Mehdi Karroubi, Former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Moussavi, Head of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Sepah) Mohsun Rezaee and incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are running for president.
Presidential elections in Iran are held every four years. Candidates may participate in the electoral process after the approval of the Supervisory Board. A person elected as president, receives the status after the approval of the supreme spiritual leader. President is the second official after the supreme spiritual leader. President controls the entire executive department that determines external and internal policy.