Ahmadinejad Charges: Why Iran's President May Face 74 Lashings

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may face charges of election code violations after he was allegedly seen publicly in attendance when a major presidential candidate registered to vote.

Ahmadinejad, who won a hotly protested reelection in 2009 was seen giving 'peace signs' and greeting the crowd when Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, his former Chief of Staff registered to vote in the June election for the Iranian presidency. Iran's Guardian Council, the body that examines presidential candidates, said through a spokesman, Abbas Ali Kadkhodai, that Ahmadinejad's alleged actions constitute election violations.

Unlike in western societies where election violations may bring fines and/or jailtime, Ahmadinejad, if charged and convicted, may receive six months in prison and 74 public lashings for his misdeeds.

Iranian law prohibits government resources be used on behalf of or against those running for office. Officials are also not allowed to endorse or support candidates using the weight of their office.

Reuters reported that Mashie's candidacy is seen as somewhat of a continuation of Ahmadinejad's policies. Reports surfaced that the Guardian Council will not likely see Mashaie in a positive light to begin with, as he was allegedly accused recently of being both incompetent and corrupt. Mashie's possible opponents include Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the mayor of the Iranian capital of Tehran, and Ali Akbar Velayati, a former police official.

Iran's Vice President, Hamid Bacai, as well as Gholam Hussein Elham, a government spokesman, said that Ahmadinejad was within his rights to accompany Mashaie to the voter registration bureau. Yahoo News reported that Mashaie called Ahmadinejad's company "a day off" from work for the Iranian president.