Mahmoud Ahmadinejad abruptly fires 14 advisers, a move seen as a possible power grab.

[pampango]

Source: Global Post

The abrupt firing of 14 advisers to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government on Sunday might indicate a growing rift between the president and Iran’s supreme ruler, Ayatollah Kamenei, analysts said. The dismissals came less than a month after three other surprise firings. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Vice President for Youth Affairs Mehrdad Bazrpash and Deputy Culture Minister for Press Mohammad Ali Ramin were all sacked without notice in December. Ahmadinejad fired his foreign minister, in fact, while he was still out of the country.

All of those fired appear to have run afoul of the president’s closest confidante, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei — a controversial figure in Iranian politics who is believed to have significant influence over the president and designs on the presidency himself when Ahmadinejad’s term is finished.

It was the way the advisers were dismissed, however, that drew ire from the country’s clerical leadership and showed just how far Ahmadinejad had strayed from the authority of Khamenei. “The manner in which Mr. Mottaki, as well as these advisers, were removed from their posts are far from the Islamic Republic’s morals and teachings,” wrote Ebrahim Beheshti on Monday in Tehran Emrooz, a hardline Iranian news website.

The dismissals have also served as a means to distract the public (and the media) from the country’s many crippling problems, including an economy that is teetering on the edge, new subsidy cuts that are threatening to spark renewed public unrest and out of control pollution in Tehran, Iran’s capital. “Ahmadinejad has used this all the time during his presidency,” Vahedi said. “By firing 14 of his advisers, he wants to avert the attention from what state of mess his government has created.”

Read more: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/middle-east/110104/iran-politics-mahmoud-ahmadinejad

[molly77]

1. Isn't Iran allowing diplomats from a few countries in to look

at his nuclear power plant? Maybe this is a good thing. Ayatollah, perhaps , needs to ease up on the strict stuff.

[w4rma]

2. I agree. This may be good. (nt)

[denem]

3. Not Good. Esfandiar Mashae was fired as VP for being too liberal

by Ayatollah Khamenei. He has (relatively) progressive views on women and culture. Ahmadinejad then appointed back as Chief of Staff. Should be interesting.

[w4rma]

6. Ugh. (nt)

[jberryhill]

4. Shah of Iran's Son Commits Suicide - Same Day

Pretty weird, eh?

[denem]

5. May be Shah's son handed in his resignation first

:evilgrin: