Iran Live Coverage: "The Freest Elections in the World"

0615 GMT: The Battle Within. US National Public Radio features an audio report on the political in-fighting, noting protests, claims of corruption, and tension over forthcoming Presidential elections. EA WorldView makes an appearance:

While Ahmadinejad is [in office], he can be blamed for the economic difficulties. He can be blamed for escalating inflation. He can be blamed for the 70 percent drop in the value of the currency. Now, Ahmadinejad's going to be gone in June. Who is the Supreme Leader's firewall then? Who does he blame if there is no improvement in the economy?

0515 GMT: Election Claim of the Day. We open with an extract from Tehran Friday Prayers, where Ayatollah Jannati --- the leader of The Guardian Council, which oversees elections --- declared, “The freest election in the world is held in Iran where religious democracy has been established and has set an example [for other countries].”

With the Presidential vote in June and the Guardian Council soon to rule on which men can stand, Jannati stressed that people are free to vote for any approved candidate whom they want and that the “vetting process [by the Council] is carried out according to the law".

In what appeared to be an allusion to the protests after the disputed 2009 Presidential election, Jannati said the people want calm elections so that they can choose their desired candidate in peace.

Press TV also notes that Jannati criticised US-led sanctions against Iran, saying they were futile: “Our stock market index has grown by 63 percent, our exports have increased and we have even built radar-evading fighter jets which the enemy is in awe of."

Press TV does not mention Jannati's warning about "crippling inflation", with his blame of Government mismanagement: "We don't know if things will be better in the future or if there will be more. We hope that things will get better."