Ahmadinejad Warns of “Take Over” of the Regime by Larijanis

Fears of Judiciary Putsch to Stop Moderates in Upcoming Election

By Nader Uskowi

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a speech at Tehran’s Azadi Square marking the 34^th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, warned the nation that Larijani family is trying to take over the system. (EA World View, 10 February)

Sadeq Larijani, a cleric and the chief of Iran’s Judiciary, has been gathering increasing influence in the country and has been lately allying himself with the ultra-right Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, the powerful theoretician of absolute power of the clerics over political as well as religious life in the country. It is increasingly feared that Larijani, using his powers as Judiciary chief, could stop Rafsanjani or other moderate leaders from winning the June presidential election by arresting him on unrelated charges. He has already arrested two of Rafsanjani's children. Such move, if it happens, would be a putsch by the Judiciary. Ahmadinejad today was referencing such concerns by warning that the Larijani family could attempt to “take over the system.”   

Ahmadinejad also strongly suggested that his rivals, including some close to the Supreme Leader, will try to rig the vote in June’s presidential election. He referred to the comments made by the supreme leader’s representative to IRGC, Ali Saeedi, on “engineering the election” as an IRGC’s “duty.”

“People have the right to pick the rulers. No one should (think) that people's vote is only a paper. We need this collective opinion.

“No one should think they can decide rather than the people. Some people have said they can engineer the election.

“I would say the great nation of the people of Iran know which path to take, and institutions and law must be abided by. Destroying others' reputation to prove yourself is not the right thing to do.

“No one can impose his opinions of the people. I am confident the people will make this choice. Everyone needs to respect the vote of the people.

“Some individuals should not act or speak in a way that plays into the treacherous hands of the enemies of the Iranian nation,” said Ahmadinejad (EA World View, 10 February)

Photo credit: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad greets supporters during the rally in Tehran's Azadi Square. 10 February, 2013. (AFP/Atta Kenare)

Judiciary Chief Announces Support for Khamenei’s Directive on Unity

Iran’s Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani wrote to the country’s supreme leader that Khamenei’s directive to government leaders not to demonstrate their differences in public had “roots in pure fountain of Vicegerency.” 

Larijani was referring to Khamenei’s role as vicegerent (deputy or representative) of the Hidden Imam on earth. Following is Fars’ English translation of Larijani’s letter to Khamenei. 

“Long Live His Eminence the Supreme Leader; 

 Inheritor of Vicegerency; Salam-on Aleykom:
With all due respect, and congratulating your honor on the upcoming blessed occasion of Qadir-e Khom Eid, the blessed message of that most esteemed leader that has roots in the pure fountain of Vicegerency, addressed to the heads of the three branches of power was wholeheartedly received with heart and mind. I pray to Almighty Allah for assisting all of us to shoulder our responsibilities, and to obey and assist that Most Exalted Supreme Leader. 


Sadeq Amoli Larijani 

 Judiciary Chief"   (Fars News Agency, 1 November)

Note: This is what the Islamic Republic has turned into. The head of the Judiciary, supposedly an “independent” arbitrator of the laws of land, proudly announcing his “obedience” of that “Most Exalted Supreme Leader.”

Photo credit: Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani (Fars Photo)

Rafsanjani Warns Iranian Politicians of Bringing Internal Divisions into Open

Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the former president and an elder statesman of Iranian politics, today called on country’s politicians to approach the difficulties facing the country through prudence, wisdom and use of expertise and avoiding self-centered promotion. Rafsanjani, making the comments to Shia seminaries in the holy city of Qum, added that the leaders should not let their internal divisions and their mismanagement of the issues facing the country strengthen the enemies’ hands. (Aftab News, 24 October)

Rafsanjani was referring to the growing and bitter infighting between President Ahmadinejad and Judiciary Chief Sadegh Larijani over the president’s request to visit the notorious Evin prison in Tehran and Larijani’s refusal to issue permit to a sitting president to visit the country’s main prison.

In an unusually sarcastic and harsh criticism of the president, Larijani wrote in an open letter, widely published in all major media today, that Ahmadinejad was acting “like a king who has confiscated people’s properties only to accuse the people of not respecting his property rights.” He also accused the president of putting himself above the country’s constitution and the separation of powers and again denied him permission to visit Evin.

Ahmadinejad had earlier called the refusal by the judiciary to let him visit the prison an “unconstitutional” act and denial of fundamental rights of any citizens, including those of the country’s sitting president.