‎A day after a spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of the Interior told reporters that the ‎government would not allow representatives from political parties to monitor proceedings ‎at the Central Election Committee, President Ahmadinejad told a group of Basiji artists ‎that he wished to monitor the U.S. elections to see whether “people would vote for them ‎‎[Republicans] again or not.”‎

Conservatives and hardliners have repeatedly accused their opponents of "treason" and ‎‎"collaborating with the enemy" for requesting international observers to monitor Iran's ‎elections. Ahmadinejad’s offer to monitor U.S. elections despite the ministry of interior's ‎announcement that it was not allowing representatives from Iranian political parties and ‎groups to monitor the actions of the Central Election Committee in the Iranian elections.‎

In previous years, the Khatami government designated a special area known as the ‎‎“parties desk” from which representatives from political parties could closely monitor the ‎election proceedings. However, since he took office in summer of 2005, Ahmadinejad ‎has refused to allow independent monitors or journalists into the Central Election ‎Committee. ‎

Ahmadinejad voiced interest in monitoring U.S. elections while the circle of mistrust ‎surrounding the integrity of Iran's upcoming elections has grown considerably in the past ‎few months, spreading from reformist parties such as the Participation Front and the ‎E'temad Melli Party to include top politicians such as former presidents Mohammad ‎Khatami and Hashemi Rafsanjani, and grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, Hassan ‎Khomeini. ‎

Several weeks ago, Ayatollah Khomeini's grandson, Hassan Khomeini, warned about ‎election rigging in Iran. ‎

The possibility of rigging elections in Iran has become the main concern of reformist ‎parties and government critics. Independent and opposition candidates are facing a host ‎of challenges including the qualifications process of the Guardian Council, the ‎involvement of military and para-military forces in the voting process, and new campaign ‎restrictions signed into law last year. ‎

Reformist parties believe that the possibility of rigging the upcoming Majlis elections this ‎time is even higher than other previous elections. Several prominent figures with obvious ‎affiliations with the conservative and hardliner groups serve on the election oversight ‎committee, including head of Guardian Council Ayatollah Jannati, Sadegh Larijani, ‎Abbas Ka'abi, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, and Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei. ‎