Ahmedinejad Rebuked at Polls

[Ramo]

I put this in the Iraq thread, but this really deserves its own.

Iran reformist regains influence
Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Mr Rafsanjani has got a new lease of political life
Iran's moderate former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has won election to Iran's powerful clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, results show.

With more than half the votes counted, Mr Rafsanjani, who was defeated in the 2005 presidential election, had a clear lead at the top of the list.

The election - and simultaneous local polls - was seen as a test of support for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Early results suggest liberals and moderates have regained some influence.

Official results have not yet been announced in either of the two elections.

Political revival

Displaying what correspondents describe as a new lease of political life, Mr Rafsanjani led the poll with 1.3 million votes as counting continued.


IRANIAN ELECTIONS
Iranians are voting in two sets of elections
Assembly of Experts poll: Powerful clerical body which supervises the Supreme Leader
Local council polls: More than 250,000 candidates for around 100,000 seats nationwide
46.5 million eligible voters

He is almost half a million votes ahead of the second placed candidate.

His main rival, Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi - seen as a political mentor to President Ahmadinejad - is trailing in sixth place, but with enough votes to retain a seat on the Assembly of Experts.

Mr Rafsanjani's strong performance has exceeded his supporters' expectations after his humiliating defeat in 2005, the BBC's Sadeq Saba in Tehran says.

The assembly of 86 theologians supervises the activities of Iran's supreme leader and chooses his successor when he dies.

Mr Rafsanjani's success was helped by an unexpectedly high turnout and by a new alliance between him and the reformists, our correspondent says.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6188207.stm

Really good news. The Presidential election is in a year and a half (Parliament reduced Ahmedinejad's term), but this might be more important. The Assembly of Experts chooses who replaces Khamenei as Supreme Leader (where the real power lies).

And this is probably a sign that Ahmedinejad's gonna be ****ed when his term expires. Rafsanjani beat Ahmedinejad's candidate (who came in sixth) nearly 2:1.

Rafsanjani has called for normalized relations with the US. This is a good day for diplomacy... As long as Bush realizes it.

[Zkribbler]

True! We have to hold out the carrot of trade while rattling the sabre of sanctions.

It is mo' betta to be our friend than our enemy.

[Darius871]

but but... Hannity and Savage told me this mazdajob guy's supposed be the next Hitler!!?!1 hows this gonna happen if his term ends (they have elections in Iran???)

[Fake Boris]

So his latest round of drivel about the Holocaust was just a pathetic attempt at rallying the electorate behind nationalist crap?

[Colon™]

What the hell do you think he's doing jammering on a nuclear programme he does not himself control?

[Sandman]

This is a good day for diplomacy... As long as Bush realizes it.

That is, of course, the stickler. Iran tried to normalise relations before, but Bush decided to stick them on the axis of evil instead.

[GePap]

Good news and turnout was decent.

Though I would say the most likely reason for Ahmadinejad's setback is his inability to deal with the economic situation, which is also what scuttled the reformists.

It has always been interesting on how the West focuses on Ahmadinejad as if he were the power in Iran, but when Khatami was president, everyone then just happened to recall were the true power lies.

[Spiffor]

Good news

Hope Ahmadinejad will continue to alienate voters 'till the next elections, so that we can forget about gim

[Zevico]

So how is this a good thing exactly? Who is this guy and how does he actually differ on policy with Ahmedinejad?

[Victor Galis]

Wait, so the powerful body of clerics that has the real power is also elected?

I clearly don't know much about Iran

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yes, perhaps smear campaign is too loaded of a word, but Iran is far from an authoritarian dictatorship than is commonly assumed in the US.

[DinoDoc]

They had elections in the USSR as well.

[Victor Galis]

Yeah, but they typically weren't free

[Aro]

Few days ago, Ahmedinejad was confronted by some protestors in the University... I remember how surprised I became, because it’s not so common (I mean, protests against their own leaders )… Now, I can see, the whole scenario seems to be changing. Thanks God, this Ahmedinejad guy scares me. The recent Holocaust cartoon contest (I’m serious; they did it, trying to prove the Shoah never happened… and more recently, this ridiculous conference, again trying to prove that the holocaust was a “jewish lie”.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Victor Galis
Wait, so the powerful body of clerics that has the real power is also elected?

I clearly don't know much about Iran

The council is elected, but the candidates are vetted by another council, which is itself appointed by the head cleric, who is chosen by this council. A nice circular, semi-closed system, resembling in some ways late medieval and early modern Republics. Except with Islamist clerics taking the role of the wealthy merchants.

Combined with press censorship, suppression of right to peaceably assemble, and arrests of dissidents, its hardly a democracy.