TEHERAN - POLITICAL deadlock continued in Iran as opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi on Saturday rejected a panel set up to hold a partial recount of votes in the disputed presidential election.

Editor accuses Mousavi THE Executives of Construction party was founded in 1995 by technocrats and allies of powerful former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a Mousavi supporter. Several of its members have been jailed in the election aftermath along with scores of reformist leaders, journalists and political activists. ... more

Refusing to be cowed by a raid on the offices of a party that backed him or by an aide turning against him and blaming him for deaths during protests, Mr Mousavi again demanded a full re-run of the election.

'Limiting the probe into complaints about electoral irregularities to recounting 10 percent of the ballot boxes cannot attract people's trust and convince public opinion about the results,' the moderate candidate said on his campaign website Ghalamnews.ir.

Top political arbitration body the Expediency Council urged all candidates to cooperate with the panel, set up by electoral watchdog the Guardians Council.

But Mr Mousavi said: 'Reaching a just judgement is not within the domain of the Guardians Council and above all a board which is appointed by this council.

'I insist again on cancelling the election (results) as the most suitable way out of the problem,' he said.

The issue should be referred to a body which observes (Islamic) Sharia law, has legal status and is independent, said the former prime minister, who trailed in 11 million votes behind incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad according to official results from the June 12 election.

The Guardians Council said that although it has ordered a partial recount, no 'major irregularities' have so far been found and the elections were the 'cleanest we have had.' Third-placed Mohsen Rezai said he was prepared to serve on the panel and called on Mousavi and the fourth candidate, reformist Mehdi Karroubi, to join him.

Teheran saw massive demonstrations against Mr Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election and at least 17 people have been killed in clashes with security forces but streets appeared quiet on Saturday after authorities warned that any further gatherings would be suppressed.

Etemad Melli newspaper reported that officials seized documents and computers from the Executives of Construction, a political party that backed Mr Mousavi. 'Officials inspected the office of the Executives of Construction party in Teheran and took away its documents and computers,' the reformist newspaper said. -- AFP