TEHRAN, June 25: Ultra-conservative Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad swept to a stunning landslide victory in presidential elections on Saturday and immediately vowed to turn Iran into a strong and exemplary Islamic state.

His victory put in doubt Iran’s fragile liberalization process, started by outgoing reformist President Mohammad Khatami, and raised questions about whether Iran will harden its stance on its nuclear impasse with the West.

Mr Ahmadinejad, 48, won the backing of the religious poor to defeat veteran political heavyweight Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was supported by pro-reform parties and wealthy Iranians fearful of a hardline monopoly on power.

“Our main goal today is to create an exemplary, advanced and powerful Islamic nation,” he said in a radio address — his first comments since being declared winner of Friday’s election.

In a campaign where Mr Rafsanjani advocated better ties with the United States, Mr Ahmadinejad had said relations with Washington were not a cure-all for Iran.

Mr Ahmadinejad, who will be Iran’s first non-cleric president for 24 years when he takes office in August, has also used firm language on Iran’s nuclear programme, saying it was the nation’s right to develop its nuclear technology.

In his victory speech, Mr Ahmadinejad hinted at a shake-up in the oil sector, saying oil deals needed to be clarified.

But amid rumours that he will purge ministries after many top officials backed his opponent, he stressed the need for unity in the nation of 67 million.

“Today is a day when we have to forget all our rivalries and turn them into friendships,” Mr Ahmadinejad said.

In his first public comment since Friday’s poll, Mr Rafsanjani complained that dirty tricks had been used against him, but said he would not be lodging a formal complaint.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei banned victory celebrations after a fractious campaign.—Reuters