17 Jul 2009 07:26:24 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Rafsanjani to lead prayers after two-month absence
* Mousavi's first official public appearance since vote (Adds detail, changes byline)
By Fredrik Dahl
TEHRAN, July 17 (Reuters) - Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a rival of re-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will lead weekly prayers in Tehran on Friday for the first time since last month's disputed presidential election.
Opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi, the election runner-up, plans to attend the same prayers at Tehran University in his first official public appearance since the June 12 vote that provoked mass protests by his pro-reform supporters.
Pro-reform cleric Mehdi Karoubi, who came fourth in an election he and Mousavi say was rigged in the hardline incumbent's favour, will also be present, his spokesman said.
June's election stirred the most striking display of internal dissent in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution and exposed deepening divisions in its establishment.
At least 20 people died in post-election violence. Mousavi and the authorities blame each other for the bloodshed. The security forces have managed to largely quell last month's street demonstrations, but Mousavi has remained defiant.
There was a large police presence near the university a few hours before the prayers were due to start at around 12:30 p.m. (0800 GMT), a witness said. Scores of policemen were standing at or near the central Enqelab square, the witness said.
Many Basij militia members with batons were also seen near the university.
"I've never been to Friday prayers but me and my friends will go to this one," one female Mousavi supporter said. Reflecting concern the event may turn into a show of strength by Ahmadinejad's pro-reform opponents, Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei said on Thursday:
"The vigilant Iranian nation must be aware that tomorrow's sermon should not turn into an arena for undesirable scenes."
LEADERSHIP RIFT
The sermon at Tehran University is broadcast live by state radio and can reach a huge audience.
Rafsanjani, an influential cleric who was president in the 1990s, will lead the prayers after a two-month absence. Some of his relatives, including his daughter Faezeh, were arrested briefly for taking part in pro-Mousavi rallies.
Ahmadinejad on Thursday issued veiled criticism of Rafsanjani, a Mousavi supporter whom the president enraged during the election campaign by accusing him of corruption.
"Nobody has the right to recognise special rights or incentives for himself or his relatives," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Thursday evening.
But Anoush Ehteshami, an Iran expert at Britain's Durham University, said he did not expect a confrontation between Mousavi and Ahmadinejad supporters during the prayers, when worshippers gather both inside and outside the university.
he said.
"I doubt very much Ahmadinejad will be there. This is if you like the reformers' turn at Friday prayer,"
The authorities reject vote rigging charges. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has endorsed Ahmadinejad's victory, but Mousavi says the next government will be illegitimate.
The election also strained ties between Iran and the West, already at odds over Tehran's nuclear programme. Western powers criticised the protest crackdown and Iran, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter, accused them of meddling. (Additional reporting by Zahra Hosseinian and Parisa Hafezi; writing by Fredrik Dahl; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
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Rafsanjani, who was leading the prayers for the first time since June's disputed presidential election, urged people "not to contaminate the position and the sanctuary of Friday prayers by (inappropriate) comments and slogans."
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Friday Iran was in a "crisis" after last month's disputed election, in the first such comment by a senior establishment figure in the Islamic Republic.
Influential cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, leading the weekly ceremony for the first time since the disputed June 12 election, said many Iranians had doubts about the official result in favor of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.
"We are all members of a family. I hope with this sermon we can pass through this period of hardships that can be called a crisis," he said in a Friday prayer sermon broadcast on state radio.
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Hardline Iran editor:Rafsanjani backs "law-breakers"
18 Jul 2009 07:11:00 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Hardliner's editorial underlines leadership rift
* Published day after Rafsanjani criticised vote aftermath
By Fredrik Dahl and Hashem Kalantari
TEHRAN, July 18 (Reuters) - A hardline editor seen as close to Iran's top authority accused a powerful cleric on Saturday of backing "law-breakers," in comments highlighting deepening divisions in the Islamic Republic after a disputed election.
Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of the Kayhan daily, also criticised former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani for saying in a sermon on Friday Iran was in crisis.
In apparent defiance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Rafsanjani said many Iranians had doubts about the official result of the June 12 vote and he also took issue with the way the authorities had handled the poll and its aftermath.
As he led Friday prayers at Tehran University for the first time since the election, tens of thousands of protesters outside used the event to stage the biggest show of dissent for weeks.
Clashes erupted near the university between police and followers of opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi, who came second and still contests official results that showed President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad had been re-elected by a wide margin.
The government has portrayed post-election mass protests last month as the work of local subversives, or "rioters", and Western powers seeking to topple the Islamic establishment.
"Most certainly Mr Rafsanjani is familiar with the definition of a crisis ... The most meaningful word to describe the current conditions is a conspiracy," Shariatmadari said in an editorial.
He said Rafsanjani, a moderate who backed Mousavi's election campaign, had done nothing to prevent the gathering of Mousavi supporters inside and outside Tehran University, where prayers are held each Friday and broadcast live on state radio.
CLERICAL CHALLENGE
"At the same time he used every opportunity available to challenge the outcome of the election," wrote Shariatmadari, who earlier this month called for Mousavi and another leading reformist to be put on trial for "terrible crimes".
Noting Rafsanjani had urged everybody to abide by the law, the editorial added in a clear reference to Mousavi supporters who have continued to defy a ban on demonstrations:
"Mr Rafsanjani ... not only disregarded what he had said but openly supported the law-breakers."
The election stirred the most striking display of internal unrest in Iran, the world's fifth biggest oil exporter, since the 1979 revolution and exposed deep rifts in its ruling elite.
It has also further strained ties between Iran and the West, already at odds over Tehran's nuclear programme. Western powers criticised the crackdown. Iran accused them of meddling.
Rafsanjani, who heads the Assembly of Experts -- a powerful body that can in theory dismiss the supreme leader -- in his sermon also demanded the immediate release of people detained in the unrest and called for press curbs to be relaxed.
He did not go as far as Mousavi in denouncing the conduct of the vote, but his remarks still posed a clear challenge to Khamenei, who has upheld the election result and accused foreign powers of fomenting the unrest.
At least 20 people died in post-election violence. Mousavi and the authorities blame each other for the bloodshed. Riot police and religious Basij militia eventually suppressed June's street demonstrations, but Mousavi has remained defiant.
(Editing by Sophie Hares) (For more Iran coverage double click on [ID:nLP150493])
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Iran hardliners round on Rafsanjani in election row
18 Jul 2009 13:41:06 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Hardliners' attacks underline leadership divisions
* In Friday sermon, Rafsanjani criticised vote aftermath (Recasts with cleric criticises Rafsanjani)
By Fredrik Dahl and Hashem Kalantari
TEHRAN, July 18 (Reuters) - Iranian hardliners hit back at former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on Saturday for criticising the conduct of last month's election and its aftermath, highlighting deepening establishment divisions.
An editor seen as close to Iran's top authority said Rafsanjani was backing "law-breakers", a reference to opposition protesters, and a senior cleric accused him of creating rifts in the Islamic Republic and hinted he should face legal action.
In apparent defiance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Rafsanjani said in a sermon on Friday that many Iranians had doubts about the official result of the June 12 vote, which showed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won.
Leading Friday prayers in Tehran for the first time since the election, the powerful cleric also declared that Iran was in crisis after the poll, which opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi says was rigged in the hardline incumbent's favour.
Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, an Ahmadinejad ally and a member of Iran's top legislative body, rejected Rafsanjani's remarks.
"Who planted the seeds of doubt in the election in the minds of people? ... Isn't this sowing discord?" Yazdi told a news conference, according to the official IRNA news agency.
He added, according to Fars News Agency: "Those who planted doubt in society and those who irrigated it to make it sprout out of the soil and pour into the streets to violate people's lives and property ... should be dealt with legally."
The election stirred the most striking display of internal unrest in Iran, the world's fifth biggest oil exporter, since the 1979 revolution and exposed deep rifts in its ruling elite.
HARDLINERS HIT BACK
At least 20 people died in post-election violence. Mousavi and the authorities blame each other for the bloodshed. Riot police and religious Basij militia eventually suppressed the street demonstrations, but Mousavi has remained defiant.
Post-election events have also further strained ties between Iran and the West, already at odds over Tehran's nuclear programme. Western powers criticised the crackdown. Iran accused them of meddling.
Rafsanjani's robust stance appeared to set him on collision course with Khamenei, who has openly backed Ahmadinejad in a departure from the supreme leader's accepted role as a lofty clerical arbiter above the political fray.
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters used the Friday prayers led by Rafsanjani, a moderate who backed Mousavi in the election, to stage the biggest show of dissent in weeks.
Clashes erupted near the university between police and followers of Mousavi, who came second and still contests the official election results.
The government has portrayed post-election mass protests as the work of local subversives, or "rioters", and Western powers seeking to topple the Islamic establishment.
Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of the Kayhan daily, said Rafsanjani had done nothing to prevent the gathering of Mousavi supporters inside and outside Tehran University, where prayers are held each Friday and broadcast live on state radio.
"At the same time he used every opportunity available to challenge the outcome of the election," wrote Shariatmadari, who earlier this month called for Mousavi and another leading reformist to be put on trial for "terrible crimes".
Noting Rafsanjani had urged everybody to abide by the law, his editorial added in a reference to those who defied a protest ban: "Mr Rafsanjani ... not only disregarded what he had said but openly supported the law-breakers."
Shariatmadari is seen as a close ally of Khamenei, Iran's most powerful figure with the final say on all matters of state.
Rafsanjani, who heads the Assembly of Experts -- a powerful body that can in theory dismiss the supreme leader -- in his sermon demanded the immediate release of people detained in the unrest and called for press curbs to be relaxed.
Rights groups say hundreds of people, including senior pro-reform politicians, journalists, activisits and lawyers, have been detained by the authorities since the election. (Additional reporting by Zahra Hosseinian; editing by Tim Pearce)
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ANALYSIS-Iran's hardline leaders failing to stem discontent
21 Jul 2009 09:59:08 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Iran's post-election power struggle persists
* Turmoil dims prospects for nuclear dialogue with West
* Rafsanjani sermon emboldens opposition
* Khamenei faces unprecedented challenge to authority
By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent
BEIRUT, July 21 (Reuters) - Iran's post-election power struggle is shaking the Islamic Republic to its roots, with no sign that its supreme leader can assuage popular anger or regain the trust of alienated politicians and clerics any time soon.
The turmoil since hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected in a June 12 vote his opponents said was rigged has rendered moot U.S. President Barack Obama's offer of engagement with Iran, which the West suspects of seeking nuclear weapons.
It is hard to see how Iran could forge consensus on nuclear negotiations or dialogue with the United States while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is facing unprecedented challenges to his authority and deep fissures within the ruling elite.
Tehran, which says its nuclear programme is purely peaceful, faces a September deadline to agree to substantive negotiations with the West or risk tougher international sanctions.
"Whether or not you can find an interlocutor in Iran at this moment is questionable because the whole regime is in crisis," said Rasool Nafisi, a U.S.-based Iran expert. "Whatever move it made would be perceived as either arrogance or weakness."
The nuclear issue may have to await the outcome of Iran's gravest internal upheaval since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
A hard-hitting Friday sermon by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a disaffected regime heavyweight, has re-energised the opposition after security forces quelled last month's huge street protests and jailed hundreds of prominent reformists and intellectuals.
"The main problem the opposition faces is that their brains trust is either in prison, under house arrest, or unable to communicate freely," said Karim Sadjadpour, an analyst at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"There remains tremendous popular outrage, but at the moment there is no leadership to channel that outrage politically."
Sadjadpour saw no sign of an early compromise because hardliners feared any concession would only encourage their foes, and for now they still control the levers of power.
"While there are pronounced cleavages among Iran's clerical elite, Khamenei's power base is not the clergy but the Revolutionary Guards. When and if we start to see rifts among the Guards it could be fatal for both Khamenei and Ahmadinejad."
Khamenei, apparently stung by Rafsanjani's sermon in which he said Iran was in crisis because of doubts over the election result and demanded an end to detentions and press curbs, warned senior figures on Monday not to help Tehran's enemies.
"Elites should know that any talk, action or analysis that helps (the enemy) is a move against the nation," he said.
But Rafsanjani appears too powerfully entrenched to ignore. "He is not just anybody. He is one of the leading figures of the revolution and well-anchored among large groups of clerics," said a Western diplomat in Tehran. "He has a fantastic network."
CLERICS IN A QUANDARY
Defeated candidates Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi have defied Khamenei's efforts to silence their protests. Former President Mohammad Khatami, a mild reformist, on Monday boldly proposed a referendum on the legitimacy of the government.
Ideologically, the backing of Iran's clerical establishment is crucial for the leadership's standing, but few ayatollahs have endorsed Ahmadinejad and some, like dissident Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, have even attacked Khamenei.
"The clerics don't know what to do," said Baqer Moin, a London-based Iran analyst. "They are stuck between Khamenei's uncompromising position and an emboldened opposition which is demanding more than Khamenei is willing to give."
Khamenei, who succeeded revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as supreme leader in 1989, has endorsed Ahmadinejad and the election result, risking his own credibility as a mediator in disputes and ultimate arbiter of state policy.
"The supreme leader has lost his power to pronounce the final word," said Moin, a biographer of Khomeini. "He is just another politician ... reflecting the interest of various groups surrounding him, not the system as a whole."
Rafsanjani, 75, a veteran insider who heads a body that can in theory dismiss the supreme leader, was accused of corruption by Ahmadinejad during a mud-slinging election campaign.
But he took a lofty line at Friday prayers, saying unity and people's trust in the voting process must be restored after a "bitter day" -- trenchant indirect criticism of Khamenei.
"Rafsanjani has played it quite cleverly and in fact gave the speech the leader should have," Ali Ansari, an Iran scholar at Britain's Durham University said of Friday's sermon.
At stake now, he said, was the political survival not just of Ahmadinejad, but of Khamenei, who was "weakening by the day".
Some analysts see an outside chance that Iran's hardline leaders, feeling isolated at home, might seek an accommodation with the West to gain legitimacy and shore up their position.
So far, however, Khamenei and Ahmadinejad have repeatedly accused Western powers of inciting post-election unrest and have ruled out any concessions on Iran's nuclear projects. Conversely, Obama may be in no haste to embark on any negotiation that might bolster Iranian leaders caught up in such a fluid, unpredictable political drama in Tehran.
"I fear Ahmadinejad's presence serves as an insurmountable obstacle to confidence-building with the United States," Carnegie's Sadjadpour said of the prospects for engagement.
"It's going to be impossible for Tehran to reassure us that its nuclear ambitions are purely peaceful as long as Ahmadinejad remains so outspokenly belligerent towards Israel." (Editing by Jon Hemming)
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