A sign of compromise?

Intriguingly, the Iranian authorities are now conceding that the number of votes cast in 50 cities exceeded the number of people on the electoral roll in those places. However, the Guardian Council is still trying to claim that this is a “normal phenomenon” on the grounds that Iranians are allowed to vote in areas other than the one they are registered in.

The announcement does, though, suggest that the authorities are considering trying to end the protests by announcing that Ahmadinejad’s margin of victory is far smaller than the lop-sided total that was announced straight after the vote. Whether that will be enough to assuage the anger on the streets seems doubtful.