Monday
Aug032009
Iran Analysis: Naming a President
Monday, August 3, 2009 at 8:43
The Latest from Iran (3 August): Trials and Inaugurations
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Morning Update (0630 GMT): The official event today will be the Supreme Leader's endorsement of President Ahmadinejad, who will be inaugurated on Wednesday, but this has already been eclipsed by other events. With Ahmadinejad a lame duck even before his second term starts, with the battle now between the regime and Hashemi Rafsanjani as well as the regime and the Green opposition, and with the headline issue of detentions reinforced by the images of Saturday's trial, the focus will not be on Ayatollah Khameini's formal declaration but what he says in addition to it.
This will be the Supreme Leader's first significant public statement since his dispute with Ahmadinejad over the selection of the First Vice President, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai. Since then, the President has made an ambiguous statement about his position, both in general and specifically in relation to Khamenei. It is far from clear, however, that "conservative" and "principlist" blocs inside and outside Parliament --- also angered by the firing of the Ministry of Intelligence and the attempted dismissal of three others --- have reconciled with Ahmadinejad against the supposed threat of an opposition working with foreign elements and the real challenge of clerical and political criticism of the Government's abuses of the legal system.
So does Khamenei make any reference to either a new, resurgent beginning with the President or a lingering criticism of him? Or does he just let Ahmadinejad dangle by saying nothing of direct or implied substance?
Meanwhile, the opposition appears to be building to its own reaction on Wednesday, during Ahmadinejad's inauguration, rather than today. The talk now is of symbolic steps such as disruption of traffic, "flash" demonstrations, and power overloads rather than any mass action. Indeed, it appears that the new impetus for the movement, again including Rafsanjani as well as other leaders and protestors, is the response to Saturday's trials. There is a very real and significant whether they can turn initial defense (we are not guilty of a "plot") into a damaging assault on the Government's credibility (they are guilty of degrading and abusing not only the detainees, but the Revolution and Islam).
In that context, there are some very interesting signals from Press TV. While other state outlets such as Fars News were allowed to give full coverage from inside the courtroom, Press TV was shut out (probably because of confusion, rather than a deliberate step) along with opposition and foreign media. Pushed to the side on the direct reporting of the proceedings against the "enemy", Press TV has been giving airtime to blunt criticism of the regime, such as the challenge to the trial from reformist member of Parliaments and the reflections on prominent scientist/politician Abdolhossein Roohul Amini on his son Mohsen, who died in detention in Evin Prison (see the videos in our separate entry).
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
Morning Update (0630 GMT): The official event today will be the Supreme Leader's endorsement of President Ahmadinejad, who will be inaugurated on Wednesday, but this has already been eclipsed by other events. With Ahmadinejad a lame duck even before his second term starts, with the battle now between the regime and Hashemi Rafsanjani as well as the regime and the Green opposition, and with the headline issue of detentions reinforced by the images of Saturday's trial, the focus will not be on Ayatollah Khameini's formal declaration but what he says in addition to it.This will be the Supreme Leader's first significant public statement since his dispute with Ahmadinejad over the selection of the First Vice President, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai. Since then, the President has made an ambiguous statement about his position, both in general and specifically in relation to Khamenei. It is far from clear, however, that "conservative" and "principlist" blocs inside and outside Parliament --- also angered by the firing of the Ministry of Intelligence and the attempted dismissal of three others --- have reconciled with Ahmadinejad against the supposed threat of an opposition working with foreign elements and the real challenge of clerical and political criticism of the Government's abuses of the legal system.
So does Khamenei make any reference to either a new, resurgent beginning with the President or a lingering criticism of him? Or does he just let Ahmadinejad dangle by saying nothing of direct or implied substance?
Meanwhile, the opposition appears to be building to its own reaction on Wednesday, during Ahmadinejad's inauguration, rather than today. The talk now is of symbolic steps such as disruption of traffic, "flash" demonstrations, and power overloads rather than any mass action. Indeed, it appears that the new impetus for the movement, again including Rafsanjani as well as other leaders and protestors, is the response to Saturday's trials. There is a very real and significant whether they can turn initial defense (we are not guilty of a "plot") into a damaging assault on the Government's credibility (they are guilty of degrading and abusing not only the detainees, but the Revolution and Islam).
In that context, there are some very interesting signals from Press TV. While other state outlets such as Fars News were allowed to give full coverage from inside the courtroom, Press TV was shut out (probably because of confusion, rather than a deliberate step) along with opposition and foreign media. Pushed to the side on the direct reporting of the proceedings against the "enemy", Press TV has been giving airtime to blunt criticism of the regime, such as the challenge to the trial from reformist member of Parliaments and the reflections on prominent scientist/politician Abdolhossein Roohul Amini on his son Mohsen, who died in detention in Evin Prison (see the videos in our separate entry).
Reader Comments (3)
[...] die Opposition bereitet sich auf Mittwoch vor, wenn Ahmedinejad vor dem Parlament eingeschworen werden [...]
[...] Press TV was not allowed to follow proceedings at the show trial last Saturday... Any idea why? Iran Analysis: Naming a President | Enduring America presumes it was not deliberate. Still, it's odd, [...]
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