Politics: Kordan Impeachment Crisis
- E’temad editorializes: “Incompetent cabinet ministers…are worse for Iran than the impacts of the global financial crisis.”
- Ahmadinejad commenting on the Kordan affair: “In my opinion there is no news with regard to impeachment of Mr. Kordan necessitating the presence of the president [in parliament]…What is being said now has been said before…we have the greatest respect for the parliament [but] whatever they decide it will not have any impact on the government. We consider the parliament a friend, but don’t accept this impeachment… Kordan has worked for this country for thirty years…I’m not saying that Kordan is an extraordinary personality, but one must let him do his job. It is as if some [people] want to sabotage government work… Let’s say Kordan’s degree is forged. What is the point? As I have said before it is only a scrap of paper…” More here.
- Increased rumors about forthcoming resignation of the interior minister.
- Fatemeh Rajabi, wife of government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham, urges Ahmadinejad to dismiss Kordan.
- Ahmadineajd says the bribing attempt was not government policy but the actions of an individual.
- Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani condemns attempts to bribe the parliament to abstain from impeaching Interior Minister Kordan.
- Larijani also prohibits Abbasi, director general of the Office of the Government, responsible for the bribing scandal from entering the parliament.
- Aftab-e Yazd explains that government dismissal of its representative in the parliament who attempted to bribe parliamentarians in order not to impeach interior minister Kordan came five hours after Larijani prohibited the individual in question to enter the parliament building.
- Abbasi resigns.
- Larijani also prohibits Abbasi, director general of the Office of the Government, responsible for the bribing scandal from entering the parliament.
- As Kordan’s impeachment nears, Agah-Sazi compares Kordan case with the impeachment of Khatami’s Interior Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Abdollah Nouri.
- Kordan’s students say he shared his “Oxford memories” with them: “In his classes Mr. Kordan would often talk about his time at Oxford University and would ridicule the students by saying: ‘you are not real students, when I was at Oxford, we did this and that…’”
Politics: General
- Tahmasb Mazaheri, former director of the Central Bank, may run for president.
- Former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezai states preconditions for his candidacy for president.
- Kargozaran-e Sazandegi technocratic faction says Hojjat al-Eslam Hassan Rowhani would be a suitable substitute for Mohammad Khatami should Khatami not run for president.
- Combatant Clergy Association urges former parliamentary speaker Nateq Nouri to run for presidency.
- Rumors on candidacy of Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani, brother of the former president. Rumors that Lorestan governor Saberi has been dismissed.
- Ahmadinejad to inaugurate major water projects in Qom.
- Ahmadinejad and the cabinet to travel to Mazandaran next week.
- Student Basij produces a CD-rom bashing the Office of Consolidation of Unity student organization.
Economy
- Now-Andish reports rising price of cheese, eggs, and Iranian rice.
- Finance Minister Shams al-Din Hosseini says the foreign currency reserve is $25 billion.
- Former Finance Minister Danesh-Ja’fari warns against declining oil prices and their effects on the economy.
- Kish natural gas field four times as big as the South Pars gas field.
Trade
- Pakistan and Iran confused by India’s indecision with regard to the Peace Natural Gas Pipeline.
Military and Security
- Those working for the Education Ministry, children of war veterans with disabilities, families covered by Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, individuals with fathers, mothers or children with disabilities are exempted from compulsory military service.
- Law Enforcement Forces say Jundollah leader Abd al-Malek Rigi and eight members of his gang have been wounded.
Religion, Culture, and Society
- Deputy Basij chief Hossein Ta’eb speaking to assembled Basiji artists: “Hollywood is searching for subjects in our country and employ our artists…with the help of satellite television the West is trying to entrap our youth in decadence.”
Human Rights
- (E) Labor Ministry prepares for repatriation of 2 million Afghans.
Photos of the Day
- Remembering the U.S. embassy seizure (Nov. 4, 1979).