Iran MPs see red in high tomato price-- (perhaps the lowly tomato will bring down Iran's Prez)

[TexasLawyer]

Iran MPs see red in high tomato price
Web posted at: 1/22/2007 2:6:14
Source ::: Agencies

Iranian MPs quizzed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about rising inflation yesterday, citing the price of tomatoes, as he submitted his annual budget to parliament. “Controlling inflation, which has been reduced to 12.1 per cent, has been a success for the government,” Ahmadinejad told them.

“A friend told me that prices had gone up and a kilo of tomatoes cost 12,000 rials ($1.3),” he said — before being interrupted by MPs who shouted that tomatoes were being sold for 30,000 rials (3.2 dollars) a kilo.

Unimpressed by the heckling, Ahmadinejad replied: “Come and do your shopping in my neighbourhood. Why shop in expensive places?” “The government is proud of controlling inflation,” he insisted.

Ahmadinejad has come under fire from both conservatives and reformists over his economic policies and his administration’s inability to control inflation.

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