InfoAnda - Analysis: Is Ahmadinejad Iran's last president? |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region | 8 August 2010
Bay Citizen news website launches in San Francisco | 27 May 2010
Iran judiciary chief sacks hardline prosecutor | 30 August 2009

Brad Pitt, at 45, not worried about old age | 20 January 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Analysis: Is Ahmadinejad Iran's last president? |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Green Business Legal Deals Earnings Summits Business Video Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia Afghan Journal Africa Journal India Insight Global News Journal Pakistan: Now or Never? World Video Politics Politics Home Front Row Washington Politics Video Technology Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland Felix Salmon Jack Shafer Breakingviews David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Gregg Easterbrook Nader Mousavizadeh James Saft David Cay Johnston Edward Hadas Christopher Whalen Ian Bremmer Mohamed El-Erian Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Newsmaker Money Money Home Analyst Research Global Investing MuniLand Reuters Money Blog John Wasik Unstructured Finance Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Life & Culture Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Left Field Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Article Comments (0) Full focus Editor’s choice Our top photos from the past 24 hours. Full Article Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Tebow debate rages on despite comeback heroics 24 Oct 2011 Vatican calls for global authority on economy, raps “idolatry of the market” 24 Oct 2011 Libya gives Gaddafi inglorious secret burial | 11:40am EDT Netflix plummets on weak outlook, downgrades 11:41am EDT Wall St. down on rising concerns over Europe | 11:17am EDT Discussed 284 Obama to announce help on housing, student loans 159 Gaddafi captured as he fled Sirte: NTC official 129 Strike shuts down Greece before austerity vote Watched Chinese robots display ping-pong prowess Sun, Oct 23 2011 Video purports to show Gaddafi capture Mon, Oct 24 2011 Gaddfi body removed for burial Mon, Oct 24 2011 Analysis: Is Ahmadinejad Iran's last president? Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Saudi envoy murder plot suspect pleads not guilty Mon, Oct 24 2011 Huge turnout in Tunisia's Arab Spring election Sun, Oct 23 2011 U.S. to pull out of Iraq after nearly 9 years of war Fri, Oct 21 2011 Iran-U.S. tension rising ahead of elections Mon, Oct 17 2011 Iran says happy to examine U.S. plot allegations Mon, Oct 17 2011 Analysis & Opinion Trust Tunisia Libya’s revolution pushes democracy forward Related Topics World » Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks during a joint news conference with Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir after talks focused on boosting political and economic ties between their countries, at the Khartoum international airport September 26, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah By Robin Pomeroy and Ramin Mostafavi TEHRAN | Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:12am EDT TEHRAN (Reuters) - Could Mahmoud Ahmadinejad be Iran's last president? Some Iranians think so after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested scrapping a directly elected presidency, which critics say would weaken Iran's version of democracy and make the Islamic Republic more Islamic than republican. Ahmadinejad, whose second and final term ends in June 2013, dismissed Khamenei's proposal -- dropped into the middle of a lengthy speech -- as "academic" rather than a policy plan. But clerics, politicians and analysts are taking it seriously enough to wonder whether Iran, whose bitterly contested presidential election in 2009 ignited months of street protests, will hold one at all in 2013. "The announcement of this issue by the leader, especially at a popular gathering, cannot have been without great reason," Etemad newspaper quoted senior cleric Mohammad Reza Abbasi-Fard as saying. Seminary teacher Mohsen Gharavian was blunter. "Ahmadinejad is the last president to be elected directly by the people," Abrar daily paraphrased him as saying. "Beginning in 2013 Iran's political system will undergo a change." Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005, pulling Iran to the right after eight years of reformist President Mohammad Khatami. His 2009 re-election was marred by alleged vote-rigging and plunged Iran into its worst turmoil since the 1979 revolution. Reformists are considering boycotting a parliamentary election in March, which would undermine Iran's democratic credentials -- that critics say are already compromised by tight restrictions and vetting by unelected clerical bodies. Initially seen as something of a Khamenei protege, Ahmadinejad has faced challenges this year from hardliners who fear his faction threatens the role of the clergy in Iran's unique form of government: a parliamentary system, with a directly elected president overseen by a powerful cleric. Khamenei's assertion last week that there would be "no problem" in replacing the directly elected presidency with one elected by parliament has been welcomed by those who want to clip the ambitious Ahmadinejad's wings. Parliament has grown more hostile to the president since his attempt in April, vetoed by Khamenei, to sack the intelligence minister, who plays a key role in overseeing elections. "DEVIANT CURRENT" Add to that concerns about a "deviant current" of presidential aides who often put Iran's Persian heritage on a par with its Islamic culture, and many religious hardliners would be happy to do without a headstrong president. Abbasi-Fard, a former member of the state Guardian Council that vets presidential candidates, said it was Ahmadinejad's overbearing style that had pushed Khamenei to raise the idea of scrapping the elected presidency. "If the megalomania and obstinacy continues," the supreme leader "might go beyond the (verbal) guidance and preaching" and push for the elected presidency to be abolished, Abbasi-Fard told Tuesday's Etemad in an interview. This would signal the biggest constitutional change since 1989, at the end of the reign of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, when the position of prime minister was abolished and that of president strengthened. For Reza Marashi, an analyst at a Washington-based advocacy group, the National Iranian American Council, replacing a popularly elected president with one picked by parliament -- effectively turning him into a prime minister -- would further strengthen an already highly powerful supreme leader. "Should Iran decide to eliminate the post of a directly elected president, the primary role of a reinstated premiership would be to execute the supreme leader's directives," Marashi wrote in an analysis published online. "This was -- and continues to be -- what is expected from Ahmadinejad. His increasing intransigence has only sped up an otherwise steady moving process toward the domestic vision for Iran that many unelected officials hold: more Islamic than republican." While most commentators in Iran see some merit in Khamenei's suggestion, in that it would reduce rivalry between president and supreme leader, one important figure has voiced misgivings. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president and one of the central figures in the creation of the Islamic Republic, was quoted widely as upholding Iran's republican values. "According to the constitution, republicanism and Islam are two unchangeable pillars of the Islamic Republic," said the cleric, who lost to Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential poll. Such a major change would require a constitutional process, without which "undermining the republican aspect of the establishment is against the law and will restrict and limit people's power to choose," Rafsanjani said, adding: "Of course the leader has entrusted this issue to a distant future in which it might be worth studying." (Editing by Alistair Lyon) World Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Social Stream (What's this?) Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Contact Us Advertise With Us Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Second blast hits Kenyan capital, one dead |
U.S. discusses new Iran sanctions with EU allies |
Israel, Egypt agree to prisoner swap |
U.S. says N. Korea talks positive, issues remain |
Yemen's Saleh welcomes U.N. resolution on power shift |
Netflix warns of Q1 loss, Q4 drop in DVD customers |
Oracle to beef up cloud offer with RightNow buy |
Steve Jobs book may be Amazon's 2011 top seller |
China Mobile says has 10 million iPhone users |
Steve Jobs and Apple skewered on New York stage |
Prosecution rests in Michael Jackson doctor trial |
Justin Bieber, Usher release Mistletoe duet |
Janet Jackson interrupts Australian tour to be with family |
Vince Gill explores truth and fiction in new album |
Reviewers praise new Steve Jobs biography |
Libya's NTC says buried Gaddafi at dawn: report |
Islamists claim win in Tunisia's Arab Spring vote |
Rescue workers battle to find Turkish quake survivors |
N.Korea's Kim calls for nuclear talks, doubts on uranium |
Napoli stars as Rangers top Cardinals; take 3-2 World Series edge
Can A Small Business Insurance Marketplace Take Root In Florida?
U.S. increases food aid to Horn of Africa |
Strauss-Kahn immunity claim meritless: accuser |
U.S. to have robust presence in Iraq through embassy network
Bill Gates to urge G20 not turn backs on poor |
Saudi Arabia to bury Prince Sultan |
Afghans rally behind policeman's rare act of bravery |
Penalized in China, Wal-Mart reopens Chongqing stores |
Zynga's IPO due week before Thanksgiving: sources |
The emperor of Olympus, protector no longer |
Bubbly's voice tweets to expand from Asia |
Judge says no to Sprint request for AT&T documents |
Canon cuts outlook on Thai floods, strong yen |
Groupon sues former sales managers who joined Google |
AU Optronics Q3 loss widens, cuts capex further |
Nokia push to help Microsoft in Europe: analysts |
Reviewers praise new Steve Jobs biography |
Prosecution rests in Michael Jackson doctor trial |
Robin Williams marries for third time |
Pan-Asian girl band looks to Snoop Dogg for help |
Thailand calls holiday to allow escape from floods |
Yemen calls truce, explosions heard |
New rules to help 1 million American homeowners refinance mortgages
Netflix loses 800,000 subscribers in Q3 due to aborted service split
Israel government approves Grapel prisoner swap with Egypt |
Deportation of Zimbabweans tearing families apart
A cookbook of the hungry in restive Yemen
Gaddafi, son buried at secret desert grave
Western aid workers kidnapped in Somalia: agency |
Turkish forces target PKK Iraq camp: sources |
Analysis: Is Ahmadinejad Iran's last president? |
Developing rats given antidepressants show signs of autism spectrum disorders
Hurricane Rina now a Category 2 storm
Burmese displacement continues unabated, report says
Wal-Mart apologizes for pork label scandal in China
Three U.S. companies issue recalls because of listeria concerns
Netflix plummets on weak outlook, downgrades |
Ex-Olympus CEO says in contact with FBI |
Zynga's IPO due week before Thanksgiving: sources |
iPod godfather builds new Nest in Silicon Valley |
Hutchison 3G interested in Orange Austria: source |
Corrected: Judge says no to Sprint request for AT&T documents |
Boyz II Men still making music after 20 years |
Pan-Asian girl band looks to Snoop Dogg for help |
Russia's Bolshoi Theatre set for grand reopening |
Neglected zombies get their time ... in the shade |
Steve Jobs and Apple skewered on New York stage |
Arab films showcase turbulent, redemptive year |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01