West cautious on Ahmadinejad victory

PARIS: World powers including Britain and the United States reacted cautiously Saturday to the disputed Iranian presidential election in which incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been declared winner.

As thousands of supporters of the main challenger, moderate ex-premier Mir Hossein Mousavi, swept through Tehran in protest, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed hope the result would reflect the will of voters.

"The United States has refrained from commenting on the election in Iran. We obviously hope that the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people," Clinton said.

The US was "monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran," she added, following allegations of voting irregularities.

Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said Canada was "deeply concerned" by reports that the election was not free and fair.

"We're troubled by reports of intimidation, of opposition candidates' offices, by security forces," he said. France's foreign ministry said it "took note" of the re-election as well as the "contested result.

Ex-US president Jimmy Carter said there would be no change in American policy "because the same person will be there" in brief remarks after he met Palestinian officials in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

William Hague, foreign affairs spokesman for Britain's main opposition Conservative Party, said the result was a "blow to all those Iranians who had hoped for a change in leadership, reform in their country and better relations with the outside world."

He said he was "particularly concerned by reports that the result was rigged... If this is indeed the case, it bodes ill for hopes that Iran is ready to pursue a path of engagement rather than defiance in respect of its nuclear programme."