Iran sets up secret prisons ahead of presidential election The Iranian regime was caught off guard by the severity of the protests following the disputed presidential contest that resulted in President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being elected to serve a second term. An internal document from the office of the Supreme Leader passed to the Daily Telegraph by opposition activists contains stern instructions to the security forces to thwart attempts by "enemies" to undermine the leadership. It states that there must be no repeat of the plots of 2009 when mass demonstrations broke out after activists accused authorities of using ballot fraud to deny a reformist victory. "Be fully prepared to curtail any kind of disturbances or riots in the course of the presidential election," the order states. Separately other documents from Iran's Supreme National Security Council sets out a series of draconian measures to be implemented after the election to address Iran's economic crisis. It sets out orders to impose significant restrictions on bank deposit withdrawals and the imposition of a 20 per cent Cyprus-style tax on savings to bail out the country's financial system. Other measures include levies on exports and an increase in VAT. The document was issued following a cataclysmic report from the Central Bank which stated Iran's banks were suffering a systemic bank run, the foreign currency reserves were depleted, the budget deficit was out of control and the real rate of inflation was above 80 per cent. Despite the depths of the economic crisis the presidential election has been dominated by divisions between hardline candidates and the sole relatively moderate standard bearer. Observers report that Hassan Rohani, a cleric who is running against an array of loyalists to the Supreme Leader, could force a run-off vote in a second round of elections next week. All but one of the candidates - chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili - has advocated a less intransigent approach to nuclear talks with world powers. But only Mr Rohani has captured support from those who hope for reforms to end Iran's international isolation. The president can influence the tone of Iran's foreign policy with his choice of trips abroad as Ayatollah Khamenei, 73, never travels outside Iran. About 50.4 million people are eligible to cast ballots and the turnout is a key test of the legitimacy of the country's limited democratic institutions. The managing editor of the hardline Kayhan newspaper warned the conservative candidates" failure to coalesce around a front runner may "transform the river of conservative votes into a multitude of small streams."