Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Headline melodrama

The New York Times headline is dramatic -- more dramatic that the reality it seems. In fact, the concluding paragraphs imply that rather than being challenged, the Iranian president might be solidifying his power. It causes me to wonder whether the headline is news or wishful thinking.

Iran Lawmakers Complain About Ahmadinejad

Iranian Parliament members recently sent a letter detailing a long list of complaints against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Iran’s powerful Guardian Council, Iranian news media have reported, marking a new phase in an effort by traditional conservatives to rein in the administration and reassert the powers of Iran’s legislative body.

The letter, which could theoretically result in the president’s impeachment, was rapidly disavowed by its putative supporters. Many denied having signed the document...

Mr. Ahmadinejad and the conservatives have sparred frequently since he was first elected, in 2005…

The latest confrontation came to light on Saturday, when unofficial news outlets reported that an effort had begun in Iran’s Parliament to call the president to account for a number of instances in which his government stood accused of bypassing the constitutional powers of the Parliament and exercising unchecked power…

Subsequent news reports said that the petition had been signed by more than 40 members of Parliament, among them a number of prominent critics of the president. But on Monday, several members who had been named publicly as supporters of the plan distanced themselves from the letter, some issuing stern denials that the plan had been presented to members for their signatures…

Mr. Ahmadinejad’s power seemed to be further consolidated on Saturday with a statement issued from a joint committee set up in August to resolve the differences between the administration and the Parliament. The statement appeared to grant the president the “right” to issue warnings to other branches of government when, in the president’s opinion, they failed to act in line with the “fundamentals of the Constitution.”...

[P]olitical experts here said the fact that it was issued was a sign that Iran’s highest authorities were backing the president in his battle with the legislative branch.

Any extension of presidential powers will help Mr. Ahmadinejad to push through long-delayed reforms of Iran’s vast and inefficient system of subsidies...