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Spiritual mentor of Iran's president slams him for his role in
internal power struggle
May 15, 2011 - 14:51 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net -
The spiritual mentor of Iran's president has harshly criticized him
for his role in an internal power struggle that has split the
country's hard-liners, indicating that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's own
support base is badly fraying.
The cleric is the latest high-profile figure to censure Ahmadinejad,
who set off the spiraling political confrontation last month by firing
the intelligence minister without consulting the country's Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who quickly reinstated him in a public
slap to the president.
The president's mentor, Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, said
Ahmadinejad is increasingly turning friends into enemies and
demonstrating what he called "illogical and cheap" behavior. He made
the comments in an interview published in the hard-line weekly Shoma.
Ahmadinejad and his backers are struggling to regroup after the
stinging rebuke by Khamenei over the dismissal of the intelligence
minister.
The showdown was interpreted as further evidence of a growing rift
between Ahmadinejad and the ruling theocracy and a sign that Khamenei
is seeking to tighten his grip on political affairs before
parliamentary elections next year and a presidential election in 2013
that will choose Ahmadinejad's successor.
Sensing his vulnerability, rivals in parliament are raising more
challenges to Ahmadinejad, including calls to bring him before the
chamber for questioning over his policies and alleged constitutional
violations.
But the devastating comments by Yazdi, who strongly supported
Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009, shows the president's
support base is rapidly unraveling after he challenged Khamenei, The
Associated Press reported.
internal power struggle
May 15, 2011 - 14:51 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net -
The spiritual mentor of Iran's president has harshly criticized him
for his role in an internal power struggle that has split the
country's hard-liners, indicating that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's own
support base is badly fraying.
The cleric is the latest high-profile figure to censure Ahmadinejad,
who set off the spiraling political confrontation last month by firing
the intelligence minister without consulting the country's Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who quickly reinstated him in a public
slap to the president.
The president's mentor, Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, said
Ahmadinejad is increasingly turning friends into enemies and
demonstrating what he called "illogical and cheap" behavior. He made
the comments in an interview published in the hard-line weekly Shoma.
Ahmadinejad and his backers are struggling to regroup after the
stinging rebuke by Khamenei over the dismissal of the intelligence
minister.
The showdown was interpreted as further evidence of a growing rift
between Ahmadinejad and the ruling theocracy and a sign that Khamenei
is seeking to tighten his grip on political affairs before
parliamentary elections next year and a presidential election in 2013
that will choose Ahmadinejad's successor.
Sensing his vulnerability, rivals in parliament are raising more
challenges to Ahmadinejad, including calls to bring him before the
chamber for questioning over his policies and alleged constitutional
violations.
But the devastating comments by Yazdi, who strongly supported
Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009, shows the president's
support base is rapidly unraveling after he challenged Khamenei, The
Associated Press reported.