CNN - The unprecedented drama that has gripped Iran on the eve of its national election continued Tuesday with another salvo. This time, one of Iran's senior-most politicians accused hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad of "lies and distortions."
Responding to Ahmadinejad's verbal attacks during a presidential debate last week, former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said Ahmadinejad's baseless and irresponsible statements brought back "bitter memories" of anti-revolutionary groups in the aftermath of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
In the debate with his chief rival Mir Hossein Mousavi, Ahmadinejad accused Rafsanjani and another former president, Mohammad Khatami, of mismanagement, corruption and masterminding a plot against him.
Rafsanjani drafted an open letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, stating that "millions of people were witness to [Ahmadinejad's] lies and distortions of the truth, which were against religion, law, ethics and fairness and were aimed at the achievements of our Islamic System."
Rafsanjani, who lost the 2005 election to Ahmadinijad, called on Khamenei to "put out this fire" in the interest of national strength and unity.