News

Less than two weeks before the Iranian Presidential election, the contest is coming to life in unexpected and intriguing ways. For many months it appeared that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was coasting to an easy victory. But there is a growing feeling that he is going to have to fight very hard to secure re-election. Mir Hossein Mousavi is a stalwart of the Islamic system. He was prime minister during the grim years of the Iran-Iraq war. Aged 67, he well merits the cruel soubriquet of "grey man". Even his strongest supporters would agree that speech-making is not his forte. He is not known for his charisma.