Ahmadinejad hails election as 'great victory'

Ahmadinejad was re-elected as president winning 62 percent of votes. "We saw the participation of about 40 million people in a totally free election," Ahmadinejad said in his first televised speech after being re-elected as the Iranian president. He also criticized what he called the Western-led media hype against him in the run-up to the election. "This is a great victory at a time and condition when the entire material, political and propaganda facilities outside Iran and sometimes inside Iran were totally mobilized against the people and leveled the heaviest pressure and psychological warfare organized against the people of Iran," Ahmadinejad said. "Yet the Iranians with full vigilance… chose the path to the future… rather than returning to the past," he added. The president went on to describe his plans for his second term in office. He said the nation seeks justice and rejects discrimination adding that he is committed to fighting corruption. AKM/DT