Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Ahmadinejad Entering the Forbidden Zone?

Khamenei Opposed to Replacing Interior Minister


‎Several conservative websites have reported that Ayatollah Khamenei does not favor ‎Ahmadinejad’s decision to replace the Interior Minister. ‎
In this connection the website “Fararoo” announced yesterday, “The supreme leader has ‎not yet approved of the president’s decision to remove the Interior Minister.” The ‎website, while noting that the appointment and removal of ministers of foreign relations, ‎intelligence, interior, and culture and Islamic guidance have always been impossible ‎‎“without the supreme leader’s consent,” reminded its readers that, if the supreme leader ‎continues to oppose the removal, “the President has no option but to reverse his ‎decision.”‎
In this connection, the website Asr-e Iran also speculated that Interior Minister ‎Pourmohammadi may remain at his post. Also, Farda news website speculated that “the ‎supreme leader may oppose the decision to remove the interior minister.” ‎
Meanwhile, the hardline Kayhan newspaper, headed by Hossein Shariatmadari, the ‎supreme leader’s direct appointee to the Kayhan Institute, criticized Ahmadinejad’s ‎decision to remove the ministers of finance and interior from their posts, asking the ‎president, “How can a minister who does not know how long his term of service is, and ‎expects to be removed every day, plan to ‘serve the nation?’” ‎
In his editorial, Shariamatdari particularly criticized the decision to remove the Interior ‎Minister as “requiring more thought,” writing, “In the current situation, the removal of ‎the Interior Minister who has recently held hugely successful and historic elections and is ‎preparing to hold the second round of the same elections, requires more thought. Is his ‎removal under the circumstances wise?” ‎
Regarding reasons behind Pourmohammadi’s removal, some sources cited ‎Pourmohammadi’s report to the supreme leader regarding election irregularities as the ‎main reason behind his hurried removal by Ahmadinejad before obtaining the supreme ‎leader’s consent. ‎
In this connection, the website Aftab quoted “an informed source” that “the Interior ‎Minister, following the conclusion of the first round of elections, sent a report regarding ‎observed election irregularities to one of the regime’s top officials [a term often used by ‎Iranian media to refer to the supreme leader]. The president became aware of the sending ‎of such a report a few days later and was extremely furious because of the Interior ‎Minister’s action.” ‎
According to Aftab, “Ahmadinejad was angry that the Interior Minister had not consulted ‎him prior to sending the report, and made the decision to remove him for this error.” ‎

No comments: