Surprisingly this week, amid all of the turmoil that
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejed has had to face internationally, Iran’s parliament
has called their President into their chambers to answer questions on current
economic and foreign policy decisions. In the middle of fighting world powers
for the right to maintain the nuclear power program, President Mahmoud must
also fight for his political career domestically. Currently in Iran there seems
to be a power struggle between President Mahmoud and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Khamenei. In the Iranian political system, the President may make decisions he
sees fit, but at the end of the day it is the Supreme Leader that holds all of
the power. It is the Supreme Leader who can challenge, change, or overrule any
decisions made by the President. Originally, Mahmoud was the prodigy of
Khamenei, but as of late nothing could be farther from the truth. Mahmoud has
been struggling to maintain afloat in the Iranian political system, and Mahmoud’s
future truly lies on March 1. This is when Iran will be holding its elections
and the fate of Mahmoud. Mahmoud and his allies will be facing off against the
Supreme Leader’s political group for control of the parliament. This power
struggle has truly taken away the credibility of the Iranian leader that is at
the same time trying to hold nuclear arms talks with major world powers. If
Mahmoud’s party fails to win a fair amount of the elections, Mahmoud will have
a tough time trying to bargain with world powers especially with having to
answer to this very parliament about his economic and foreign policy decisions in
a month’s time. It is good to see that the many problems we have in America at
this time that are hindering President Obama’s ability to bargain about the
future of Iran’s nuclear program, seems to also be plaguing President Mahmoud
in Iran. The shortly coming events that are ahead for Iran’s power struggle
will hold a major impact in the eventual talks over the future of Iran’s
nuclear program.
BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16928642
The first priority of all leaders is to remain in power. This is how it's always been and always will be. I don't know whether to be pleased that Iran is having an internal power struggle to distract them from their international power struggle, or to be disheartened at the human condition.
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