Iran: Leader remains supreme

international | politics / elections | other press Sunday May 31, 2009 14:57 by Yassamine Mather

Yassamine Mather writes on the upcoming presidential election in Iran. She suggests that there is no real choice on offer and in any case tne Supreme Leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds the real reins of power. Full text at link

Western governments are hoping for the election in Iran of a more ‘moderate’ president and the US has delayed any negotiations until after the poll. Obama, speaking on May 18, said he expected international talks with Iran to begin shortly after the elections. Inside Iran, however, there seems to be little enthusiasm for this farce beyond the ruling circles. Most Iranians are well aware that the president, like all other ‘elected officials’ in the Islamic Republic of Iran, wields limited power. Iran’s supreme religious leader - currently ayatollah Ali Khamenei - is not just a figurehead, but the head of state and ‘guardian of the nation’.

The supreme leader often expresses his opinion about every aspect of the social, political and economic affairs of the country. During presidential and parliamentary elections he regularly declares his preferences, dismissing candidates and promoting his favourites. Modesty becomes our supreme leader - and he has chosen the appropriate name for his office’s website: www.leader.ir (‘ir’ being the web suffix for Iran).