Attack of the clerics threatens Ahmadinejad's election hopes

[IndianaGreen]

Source: The Independent (UK)

Attack of the clerics threatens Ahmadinejad's election hopes

President accused of 'fabrications' during television debate

By Katherine Butler, Foreign Editor

Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, seeking a return to power for a second term in landmark elections this week, came under attack from one of the country's most senior clerics last night in an outburst that reflected explosive tensions ahead of Friday's polling.

In a highly unusual public attack backed by other leading clerics, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani called on Iran's supreme spiritual leader to take action against Mr Ahmadinejad for "mis- statements and fabrications" during a televised debate last week. During the debate, Mr Ahmadinejad, who is facing an unusually strong challenge from reformists, accused Mr Rafsanjani, himself a former president, of corruption and of manoeuvring politically to unseat him.

Mr Rafsanjani fired off a letter to the supreme leader in which he warned that "tens of millions" of Iranians had witnessed the President's statements during the heated TV showdown. He urged Ayatollah Khamenei to take action, hinting that if he did not, furious supporters of the rival candidates might take the law into their own hands. "I am expecting you to resolve this position in order to extinguish the fire, whose smoke can be seen in the atmosphere, and to foil dangerous plots to take action... there is no doubt that some people, parties and factions will not tolerate this situation". Fourteen other clerics from the holy city of Qom, the centre of Iran's powerful religious establishment, issued a separate statement in which they voiced "deep concern and regret" that Iran's image had been harmed by the public debates.

After four years in which Iran's economy has tanked, oil revenues collapsed and relations with the West have festered, Friday's election is seen by many Iranians as the best chance in years for a meaningful swerve in direction. Many more in the West are hoping it will deliver a shift away from the intensely confrontational approach – particularly over Iran's nuclear programme – favoured by Mr Ahmadinejad.

In recent days the growing momentum behind the leading moderate challenger Mirhossein Mousavi, who has attracted the support of mostly educated younger people and the middle classes, has clearly rattled Ahmadinejad supporters. Both sides mounted huge rallies in Tehran on Monday night and there have been reports of tense incidents and sporadic confrontations around the country.


Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/attack-of-the-clerics-threatens-ahmadinejads-election-hopes-1701104.html

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Related earlier thread posted by Pirate Smile about the debate being referenced by today's story:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3912304

[babylonsister]

1. Oooh! The plot is thickening. Go, Mousavi! nt

[alfredo]

2. How do you say "You're Fucked" in Farsi?

I think Obama took the opportunity to stick it to the elections in Lebanon and Iran.

[Fedja]

3. Definitely.

The support for hardliners feeds on the defensive dislike for the US. With Obama defusing some of that tension, the people step back a bit and rationally look at the situation. That's when arguments such as economy, education, and the future can be weighed. Had Obama delivered a shrub-like speech of guns and power, dead or alive, with us or against us... Ahmadinejad would have won with a 90% majority.

[alfredo]

4. It was bush's Axis of Evil that made Ahmadinejad possible.

[DCKit]

5. Despite the government, the people of Iran are tolerant, educated, informed and patient.

Iran will, someday, be one of our strongest allies.

After #43*, we can hardly cast asparagus at their "choice" of leadership.