Next Elections Without Ahmadinejad

Some former Ahmadinejad supporters in the conservative camp known as the Principlists have published a list of candidates for the March 2, 2012 Majlis elections which does not contain the name of any of his core allies and supporters, indicating the process of his exclusion from the camp altogether.

The exclusion of Ahmadinejad and his allies comes just a few days after the publication of more conflicting reports on his key controversial aides, Esfandiar Rahim Mashai. One principlist news site even published a news story – without providing any sources – that Mashai’s house had been cordoned off. Other news agencies published a report, despite denials, that Mashai has been absent from the media since May 15 of this year.

Speaking with reporters from Fars news agency, Majlis first deputy Mohammad Bahonar revealed that, “Principlists were working to unite without the deviant group,” a reference to Ahmadinejad and his allies who have fallen out of favor with the mainstream conservatists and who are accused of pursuing their own political agenda that is different from that of supreme leader ayatollah Khamenei. Bahonar’s remarks are also made against concerns by Majlis deputies that the president’s allies have been trying to interfere in next year’s parliamentary elections.

Speaking to Khabar Online website close to Majlis speaker Ali Larijani earlier, a cleric MP Gholam-Reza Mesbahi said, “The president has launched an unofficial movement to get involved in the elections whose purpose is to seat his supporters in the future Majlis.”

Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi also has said, “We know what the goals of those who officially insult religious leaders and make [favorable] comments about music are. We know why a council on Iranians abroad has been set up: because they wanted to launch the Iranian ideology vs. the Islamic ideology.”

These remarks are strong indicators that Principlists have decided to break away from the president in the March 2011 elections for the ninth Majlis.

But prior to these remarks, Principlists had created a special committee with the purpose of cooperating with Ahmadinejad and forming a united front for the elections. Recent events that heightened over the removal of intelligence minister Heidar Moslehi that resulted in the direct intervention of ayatollah Khamenei however, have altered the course of goal of the committee.

Bahonar’s comments about the “deviant movement” came soon after reports about Mashai’s house being cordoned off and after Aftab website – close to Hassan Rowhani – reported, despite denials, that Mashai had been detained.

Mashai’s absence becomes more credible after some news reports indicated that Ahmadinejad had cancelled his trip to Armenia because of his displeasure with the exit ban that had been imposed on Mashai and another controversial Ahmadinejad aide Hamid Baghai. At about the same time, there were other accusations and denials that Baghai had been fired from government service. It should be noted that Baghai had actually been barred for four years from government service by a court of law which ruled that he had violated specific laws when he was at the country’s National Heritage organization.

Some principlists have expressed concerns that Mashai’s followers plan to create more problems for the country. Speaking to Fars news agency, cleric Abbas Nabavi warned that “the deviant group would soon break its silence by accusing officials … things shall become more clear within the next three months.” He specifically said that the group could ferment trouble in a city and said that the group would not easily give up its position.

The managing director of Fars news agency believes that the deviant group has been trying hard to gather support from a “grey sector” of society, adding that it failed in the drive.

MP Hossein Eslami recently said that available documents that implicate Mashai and other presidential aides have not been made public because they await the green light for this from ayatollah Khamenei. These documents are said to be related to improper and unlawful business and economic activities of aides of the president.

Source: Rooz Online