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Elections in the Islamic Republic are neither fair nor free, but unlike Iraq under Saddam Hussein the Iranian leadership usually manages to manipulate the elections in a very sophisticated and elegant way in an attempt to portray itself as an Islamic democracy. The 2009 presidential election however was not an exercise in sophistication and elegance. Only four out of an original 476 presidential aspirants passed vetting by the Guardian Council; Ahmadinejad's challengers were handpicked among the most timid of the so-called reformers; Ahmadinejad enjoyed vocal but indirect support of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, had privileged access to the state-censored mass media; and enjoyed direct support of the Revolutionary Guards and the paramilitary Basij.