Text 16207, 81 rader
Skriven 2005-11-18 05:42:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Iran
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,16518,1645458,00.html

Iran in turmoil as president's purge deepens 

Simon Tisdall and Ewen MacAskill
Friday November 18, 2005
The Guardian 


Iran is facing political paralysis as its newly elected president purges 
government institutions, bringing accusations that he is undertaking a 
coup d'état.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's clearout of his opponents began last month but is 
more sweeping than previously understood and has reached almost every 
branch of government, the Guardian has learned. Dozens of deputy 
ministers have been sacked this month in several government departments, 
as well the heads of the state insurance and privatisation 
organisations. Last week, seven state bank presidents were dismissed in 
what an Iranian source described as "a coup d'état".

An informed Iranian source with first-hand knowledge of all the main 
political and clerical figures in the country said: "Ahmadinejad is 
defying everybody. He does whatever he wants and considers it to be 
right. This is not how things are done in Iran."
The upheaval at the highest government levels in Tehran follows the 
dismissal of four senior ambassadors and has raised questions about 
Iran's ability to conclude negotiations on its nuclear programme which 
are due to come to a head at a UN meeting in Vienna next week.

Mr Ahmadinejad drew international condemnation after he made comments 
about wiping Israel off the map. Concern about the government's 
isolationist stance has been increased by claims from Tony Blair that 
Iran is aiding bombmakers attacking British troops in south-east Iraq.

Growing resistance inside Iran to Mr Ahmadinejad, who was unexpectedly 
elected in June, is coming from several senior figures and sections of 
the media. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president who was runner-
up in the election, denounced the purge and, in comments reported by 
Iranian news agencies, suggested the president should be reined in.

"A tendency in Iran is trying to banish competent officials and it is 
harming the country like a plague," Mr Rafsanjani said. "Our society has 
been divided into two poles and some people are behaving aggressively." 
Hassan Rohani, sacked as Iran's senior nuclear negotiator, told Tehran 
newspapers that the negotiations with the west were being mishandled. 
The former president Mohammad Khatami also voiced concern that Mr 
Ahmadinejad was exceeding his powers.

In a sign of divisions at the top of the clerical establishment, the 
supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has until now supported Mr 
Ahmadinejad, said "irregularities" in the government's behaviour would 
not be tolerated.

Iranian sources said opinion in the conservative-controlled majlis 
[parliament], which initially welcomed the president's election, was 
becoming uneasy. There has been a series of rows about Mr Ahmadinejad's 
nominees to top ministry jobs, including in the oil ministry. The stock 
market has fallen 30% since the new president took office, and there is 
growing criticism of his failure to deliver on promises to create jobs 
and raise living standards.

"There is a very tense situation. Ahmadinejad has made a very bad start 
and needs to get attuned to political realities," the Iranian source 
said, suggesting that Mr Ahmadinejad could face impeachment proceedings 
in the majlis if he continued to pack the government with his 
appointees.

But the source said western threats of economic sanctions or military 
action against Iran were strengthening Mr Ahmadinejad at the expense of 
moderate conservatives, liberals and reformers.

Paralysis at the top of the Iranian government could pose serious 
problems for the west as it struggles to resolve the nuclear stand-off. 
Iran began processing a fresh batch of uranium yesterday in spite of 
compromise proposals. Next week's UN meeting will debate whether to 
refer Iran to the security council for possible action.

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