Monday, 15 June 2009, 13:08
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000757
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/IR AND SCA/CEN
EO 12958 DECL: 06/15/2019
TAGS IR, TX, PGOV, PREL, PHUM
SUBJECT: IRAN POST-ELECTION: [Source removed] CALLS

1.(C) In a conversation today with Iran Watcher, a [Source removed] in Ashgabat labeled the announcement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in Friday's presidential election a "coup d'etat," and called Iran's incumbent President "another Pinochet." [Name removed] said that based on calculations from Mousavi's campaign observers who were present at polling stations around the country and who witnessed the vote counts, Mousavi received approximately 26 million (or 61%) of the 42 million votes cast in Friday's election, followed by Mehdi Karroubi (10-12 million). According to his sources, Ahmadinejad received "a maximum of 4-5 million votes," with the remainder going to Mohsen Rezai. He said that more than anything else, the huge turnout of voters on Friday was a reflection of the Iranian electorate's overwhelming "anti-Ahmadinejad" sentiments.