Politics

  • Agah-Sazi’s satirical staff writer provides 40 arguments why the Iranian public should vote for Ahmadinejad: “1. Ahmadinejad will make Iran leader of the Arab world, and will mess up the entire Arab world…2. Second term of presidency for Ahmadinejad will make the Russians abduct him to utilize his nuclear genius (and Iran will get rid of him), etc…
  • In a surprisingly early and blunt announcement, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abdol-Karim Mousavi Ardebili urges his followers to vote for former president Mohammad Khatami in the June 2009 presidential election and says: “Mr. Ahmadinejad claims his services to the people of Iran are unique, but is it also what the people of Iran think?…There were many obstacles in the path of Mr. Khatami, but Mr. Khatami is a benevolent force and aiding the public…People should vote for Khatami regardless who else runs for presidency…”
  • Kargozaran technocratic faction general secretary says presence of both Khtatami and Karrubi would be catastrophic for the reform movement and detrimental for the cause of reforming the Islamic Republic.
  • Former president Mohammad Khatami in a vague reference to the Ahmadinejad administration says “an intellectual school of thought alien to the school of thought of Imam Khomeini is taking hold of power in the Islamic Republic.”
  • Presidential candidate Mohammad-Reza Aref says he will withdraw his candidacy in case Khatami chooses to run for presidency.
  • Tehran parliamentarian Rouhollah Hosseinian says it is doubtful if all the principalist factions will support Ahmadinejad in the 2009 elections.
  • Gholam-Reza Mesbahi-Moghaddam warns against principalists splitting the vote.
  • E’temad-e Melli’s Qouchani, in an editorial vaguely attacking Khatami, says Mehdi Karrubi is “realization of the dreams of reformists, not their utopia.” More here.
  • Agah-Sazi’s analyst publishes an analysis of hypersensitivity of Ahmadinejad towards criticism.
  • Agah-Sazi publishes Radio Farda’s analysis of announcement of the date for presidential elections in the Islamic Republic by former Revolutionarty Guards commander Ali-Reza Afshar. The fixed date is 22 of Khordad 1388, or June 22, 2009.
  • Ilam parliamentarian Ghanbari says the ears of Ahmadinejad are incapable of hearing criticism of vice president Mashayee.
  • Following Ahmadinejad’s unresponsiveness to criticism against Mashayee, who is also head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, the Iranian parliament tries to detach the organization from the presidency.
  • As a result of Ahmadinejad’s unresponsiveness to the Mashayee affair, the parliament has called upon Ahmadnejad to answer questions of the parliament in an open session. Specifically, the parliament has asked Ahmadinejad to answer what he thinks of “friendship with the people of Israel,” “end of rule of one religion in the world,” and “matters related to stirring up ethnic unrest and deeds bdetrimental to the national security of he Islamic Republic.” According to Alef News Agency, this is the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic that a president comes so close to an impeachment (but a similar process led to declaration of political incompetence of President Bani-Sadr).
  • Mashayee defends his declaration of support to the people of Israel in the National Security Committee of the Iranian parliament.
  • Ahmadinejad’s media advisor Javan-Fekr claims there will be no impeachment of the Iranian president in the Mashayee case.
  • Speaker of the parliament Larijani says impeachment of the education minister is not a sign of enmity between the parliament and the government.
  • Impeachment of Education Minister Ahmadi cancelled.
  • Ali Akbar Javanfekr, media advisor to Ahmadinejad, says interior minister Kordan has hitherto failed to produce evidence authenticating his Ph.D. degree from Oxford University.
  • Interior minister Ali Kordan says his decision to remain in the cabinet is based upon estekhareh [bibliomancy] which convinced him that his presence in cabinet was good for the country.
  • According to Aftab-e Yazd, Interior Minister Ali Kordan could be dismissed.
  • More in Donya-ye Eqtesad.
  • The Islamic Republic public prosecutor starts a case against Ali Nourizad, former staff wrier of Kayhan who, according to the Islamic Republic authorities has insulted sources of emulation. Nourizad has a profile similar to another Ahmadinejad supporter Palizdar who rebelled against the clergy.
  • Jannati, secretary of the Guardians Council begs the public to forgive his sins in the month of Ramadan and says he will correct past mistakes if any member of the public comes to his office and informs him of injustice done to him or her by the council. Jannati also for the first time in the thirty year history of the Guardian Council made a reference to specific injustice with regard to disqualification of candidates for various public offices and raising the theoretical possibility of injustice. But the secretary of the Guardian Council concluded that Iran is surrounded by enemies and constantly under attack forcing the council to take difficult decisions. Jannati ended his sermon by saying that the Imam of the Era is the only savior of mankind.
  • Political chameleon Behzad Nabavi, in a vague reference to the Ahmadinejad administration, says the Iranian public should not fall victim to a political movement destroying the very foundation of the Islamic Republic, but dissimulating similar to president Rajai.
  • Former parliamentarian Shahrbanou Amani asks what has become of all those people who dressed in the death shroud (as a symbol of their readiness for martyrdom) who foiled the Khatami presidency’s attempt to normalize relationships with Egypt, now that Mashayee announces his friendship with the people of Israel.

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