TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that his re-election was proof of the people's faith in his previous four-year government.

"The election result confirmed the work of the ninth government which was based on honesty and service to the people," the hardline president said in a statement carried on the ISNA news agency the day after his return from Russia.

"Twenty-five million people confirmed this kind of management of the country and it is now engraved in the revolution," said Ahmadinejad, referring to the number of votes he won in Friday's election according to official results.

Ahmadinejad's re-election has been disputed by all his three rivals, mainly ex-premier Mir Hossein Mousavi who has charged that Friday's vote was marred by blatant irregularities.