IRAN - Jun 19 - Rafsanjani Seeks Vote Against 'Extremism'.

Presidential contender Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani urges Iranians to support him in a vote against extremists he said had "tarnished" the first round of the election. The pragmatic conservative theologian, who will on Jun 24 go into a runoff against far right-winger Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also promised to create a national unity government if he is elected and warned Iran was at a "difficult crossroads". "I ask for your help to prevent extremism with your massive participation in the second round", Rafsanjani said in a statement. He repeated allegations made by defeated reformist candidates that the first round of voting Jun 10 was "tarnished" by "organized action and intervention". Breaking his silence a day after the shock result was announced, Rafsanjani spoke of a "smear campaign against candidates, the unjust questioning of the achievements of the revolution... and certain organised actions to orient the vote. If this continues we do not know where it will lead", he said. "The vote in the first round shows the Iranian people do not share a single political belief and that the country cannot be ruled over by a single viewpoint", said Rafsanjani. "We need a national coalition to create a government that includes all people who believe in Islam, the revolution, the regime, freedom and independence", he added. Ahmadinejad, who currently serves as Tehran's mayor, sprung a stunning surprise by coming in second against Rafsanjani in the first round. One of the main reformist candidates, third-placed Mehdi Karroubi, has claimed the vote was "rigged" and pointed the finger at the powerful Revolutionary Guards, a hard-line ideological army. "I ask officials to examine the complaints, in particular the complaint of my brother Karroubi", Rafsanjani said. "The Islamic revolution is at a difficult crossroads, facing domestic and foreign threats and adventurism". Reformists urged their dejected supporters to rally behind Rafsanjani while the hard-liners came out in support of Ahmadinejad. The Islamic Iran Participation Front said people had to vote to prevent Ahmadinejad, linked to the Revolutionary Guards and Basij paramilitaries, from becoming president. "Now the country faces the danger of direct involvement by military parties", its statement said. Another reformist party, the Islamic Revolution Mujahedeen Organisation, led by Behzad Nabavi, also threw its weight behind Rafsanjani despite its differences with him. It cited the "orchestrated involvement of military bodies and entities... in favor of the most radical anti-reform faction" and said Iran was in peril from fascism. Similarly, hard-liners called for conservatives to close ranks behind Ahmadinejad. Hard-line candidate Ali Larijani, a former head of state TV who limped in sixth out of seven presidential hopefuls, would throw his weight behind Ahmadinejad, one of his aides told the official IRNA news agency.