Former Iran president condemns Ahmadinejad 'lies'

         Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani condemned as "lies" Tuesday the corruption accusations levelled against him by incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In a television debate last week with presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Moussavi, Ahmadinejad accused the former president and his family of corruption and embezzlement - without Rafsanjani being present. Iran goes to the polls on Friday for in an increasingly close and acrimonious election. "Millions of Iranians inside and outside the country were witness to the [Ahmadinejad's] lies, which were un-Islamic, illegal, immoral and unfair," Rafsanjani wrote in a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Iran's constitution, Khamenei has the final say on all state matters and is the de facto leader of the country. "The remarks by Mr. Ahmadinejad were unfortunately not only false but irresponsible and targeted the honorable achievements of the Islamic system," Rafsanjani said. Following Ahmadinejad's accusations, his supporters shouted slogans such as "Death to Rafsanjani" during a campaign rally on Monday. It was for the first in Iran's 30-year post-revolution history that such slogans have been heard against a former president. Rafsanjani was one of the closest aides to the late supreme leader of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He was parliament speaker from 1981 to 1989, president from 1989 to 1997, head of the Experts Assembly - in charge of settling legislative disputes - from 1997 until now. The moderate cleric, whose opposition to Ahmadinejad and the president's policies is an open secret, is also head of the Experts Assembly, the most important clergy body in the country. Rafsanjani met Ahmadinejad after the TV debate at a ceremony marking Khomeini's 20th death anniversary in southern Tehran and told him to withdraw his accusations. The president, however, rejected the demand. The former president also asked state-run TV, with which Ahmadinejad has many ties, for an opportunity to reply to the accusations. The station, however, rejected this appeal and said no program could be allocated until after Friday's election. "None of my two offers of goodwill was accepted and it is now up to you to settle this dilemma, neutralize this dangerous conspiracy and extinguish the fire whose smoke is visible everywhere," Rafsanjani told Khamenei. Moussavi and the other two candidates - Mehdi Karroubi and Mohsen Rezaei ? have also criticized Ahmadinejad for his accusations and said it was not appropriate to attack a high-ranking official in this manner on state TV, especially in his absence . (21,35)