Speaker of Parliament Larijani Criticizes Ahmadinejad and Green Movement (Source: www.insideiran.org )

 By Shayan Ghajar
www.insideiran.org

Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani gave an address Wednesday night strongly criticizing the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on multiple issues, ranging from the economy to dealing with the aftermath of the June elections. Larijani also blamed the nation’s political turmoil on extremists on both sides of the political divide, saying their dispute discouraged foreign investment and encouraged Iran’s enemies to take advantage of the situation.

Larijani’s speech, which he gave in the central provinces, highlighted the frustrations of traditional conservatives in the aftermath of the June 12 presidential election. They are alienated on one hand by Ahmadinejad’s ultra-conservative camp with its heavy-handed foreign and economic policies, which politicians like Larijani view as inept and inefficient. But on the other, traditional conservatives dislike the Green Movement’s calls for sweeping reform, feeling that they are agitators tainted with Western ideology.

Larijani characterized Ahmadinejad’s management of national affairs as “flawed,” emphasizing that the country must not be “ruled by extremism and delusion” but rather needs to be governed with realism and respect for the constitution. The Leader of Parliament condemned the executive and judiciary branches for the mismanagement of the crisis, pointing to the abuses and torture of detained protestors within the Kahrizak detention center. Saeed Mortazavi, former chief prosecutor of Tehran, was found responsible by a parliamentary committee this week for the deaths of three detained protestors in the Kahrizak facility. Mortazavi is a staunch ally of Ahmadinejad.

Larijani also leveled harsh criticism at pro-government militias, saying that their actions were causing “outrage” and pushing the opposition toward extremism. Larijani added that they may feel that they are acting on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s behalf, but that they should not claim to be acting on his authority because their actions are unconstitutional.

Larijani then turned his criticism towards the Green Movement, saying the June elections were a triumph of democracy and that if the opposition doubts the results, they should pursue the proper legal channels to address their concerns. The protests, Larijani said, were providing Western governments with opportunities to work against Iran’s interests.

Regarding the economy, Larijani characterized Ahmadinejad’s implementation of development plans as delusional and lacking proper planning. Moreover, the post-election conflict has scared away investors and slowed down development programs.

In the current political atmosphere, the traditional conservatives are perhaps the most beleaguered faction of all, caught between radical conservatives on one side and the Green Movement on the other.

http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/speaker-of-parliament-larijani-criticizes-ahmadinejad-and-green-movement/