The Ahmadinejad campaign office has announced that President Ahmadinejad will speak to the Iranian people in a televised speech on June 9 in response to his reformist rivals' accusations and suspiciousness regarding the Ahmadinejad administration in their presidential debates that did not include Mr. Ahmadinejad, according to Fars.
UPDATE: State broadcaster IRIB is rejecting those reports, attributed to the president's campaign team, suggesting that Ahmadinejad was granted such "additional airtime," according to Iran's English-language Press TV.
But then it equivocates a bit:
SECOND UPDATE: It appears that President Ahmadinejad is being given that free airtime on state television after all. Fars News Agency says he'll get 25 minutes tonight, although the time has not been announced. You can bet it won't come too far ahead of the official end of campaigning.
-- Mazyar Mokfi
UPDATE: State broadcaster IRIB is rejecting those reports, attributed to the president's campaign team, suggesting that Ahmadinejad was granted such "additional airtime," according to Iran's English-language Press TV.
But then it equivocates a bit:
IRIB revealed late Tuesday that no decision has yet been taken on the issue of the president seeking additional airtime to defend his record ahead of the Friday elections.
SECOND UPDATE: It appears that President Ahmadinejad is being given that free airtime on state television after all. Fars News Agency says he'll get 25 minutes tonight, although the time has not been announced. You can bet it won't come too far ahead of the official end of campaigning.
-- Mazyar Mokfi