Bush criticizes Iranian elections

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, addressing the Iranian people on the eve of their presidential election, yesterday denounced Iran's electoral system as undemocratic and vowed that America would stand with those seeking freedom in the Islamic republic.

''Today, Iran is ruled by men who suppress liberty at home and spread terror across the world," Bush said in a statement distributed by the White House. ''Power is in the hands of an unelected few who have retained power through an electoral process that ignores the basic requirements of democracy."

He added, ''The June 17th presidential elections are sadly consistent with this oppressive record."

The statement amounted to a repudiation of the elections and the seven candidates for president, three of whom have campaigned as reformists and are considered relative moderates by local standards.

It was not clear yesterday how Bush's criticism would play in Iran, where many people, especially the young, have become alienated after 26 years of rule by fundamentalist Shi'ite clerics. These hard-liners hold unelected positions with supreme authority over the elected government and legislature.

It was this theocratic structure that was the main target of Bush's statement yesterday.

''Across the Middle East, hopeful change is taking place," Bush said, citing elections in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories. ''People are claiming their liberty. And as a tide of freedom sweeps this region, it will also come eventually to Iran."

Bush said Iran's unelected rulers rejected more than 1,000 presidential candidates, ''including popular reformers and women who have done so much for the cause of freedom and democracy in Iran."