Iran's election authority has rejected claims of voting irregularities by a defeated presidential candidate, while acknowledging that the number of ballots cast in dozens cities exceeded the number of eligible voters in those areas, state-run TV reported Monday.
Iran's Guardian Council - which approves all candidates running for office and verifies election results - said candidate Mohsen Rezaie alleged irregularities in 170 cities, but that excessive ballots were found in 50 cities, CNN reported according to government-funded Press TV.
Council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei said voting in those locations did not noticeably affect the outcome of the election, adding that the council will continue to investigate complaints that are filed through "legal channels," Press TV said. The council declared incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner of the June 12 election.
Rezaie had reported some irregularities and called for a recount of some ballots, while opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi and candidate Mehdi Karrubi have rejected the election as fraudulent and demanded a new one.
Earlier Sunday, thousands of riot police and militia lined Tehran's streets as the public rift among Iranian leaders appeared to be widening.