JUSIPER

 
Pity the poor Iranians

Posted by Sini

When they elected the mayor of Tehran, they thought they were getting a religious, populist Rudy Giuliani. It turns out they got George W. Bush:

Critics say the 1980s-style radicalism of ultraconservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is hurting Iran at home and abroad - to the point that even his natural allies in parliament have rejected his three choices to run the all-important oil ministry.

The Islamic hardliner appears undeterred, but pragmatists in the ruling hierarchy are growing restless and looking for ways to contain him.

"Ahmadinejad's behaviour has annoyed many fellow conservatives. That he doesn't like to consult with anybody outside his small circle of old friends is a reality," said Ghodratollah Rahmani, a conservative writer.

"He doesn't consult even with knowledgeable people in his own camp."

Even extremists within the hardline camp want Ahmadinejad to be more responsive to their advice, experts say.

"If he doesn't want to hear no for a fourth time, he has to consult with people outside his circle of friends," said Mohammad Nabi Habibi, leader of the Islamic Coalition Society.

Since taking office in August, Ahmadinejad has jettisoned Iran's moderation in foreign policy and pursued a purge in the government, replacing pragmatic veterans with former military commanders and inexperienced religious hardliners. [...]

In the works, but still not made public, is a deeper shake-up of the establishment in which Ahmadinejad is replacing hundreds of governors and senior officials at various ministries with young, inexperienced Islamic hardliners who oppose good relations with the West. The changes include putting fundamentalists in key posts at security agencies.

Mahdi Kalhor, a senior adviser to the president, said Iranians and other countries have to accept that Ahmadinejad prefers to work in isolation.

"Yes, the president consults (only) his trusted friends," Kalhor said. "Ahmadinejad has a revolutionary management policy. He makes decisions within 24 hours that previous governments used to take within five years."

3:32 PM |