Iran parliament to question Ahmadinejad over fraud

Iran parliament to question Ahmadinejad over fraud

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's parliament is set to summon President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for questioning over an economic scandal and his polices after the required number of lawmakers signed a petition Sunday, the latest salvo in a long battle between the president and his rivals.

Ahmadinejad would be the first president to be hauled before the Iranian parliament, a serious blow to his standing in a the conflict involving the president, lawmakers and Iran's powerful clerics.

At least 73 lawmakers signed the petition to question Ahmadinejad, just above one-quarter of the 290 members required by Iran's constitution to call in a president.

Earlier the parliament found Ahmadinejad's economics minister guilty in relation to a $2.6 billion fraud case, considered the largest in Iran's history.

Looks like tensions between Ahmadenijad and the Ayatollah / Parliment have taken another increase over the latest scandal. The Iranian Parliment voted to bring him before Parliment to question him with regards to the fraud as well as other policies. His Finance Minister was found guilty by the Parliment over the 2.6 billion dollar fraud scheme. His economy minister is currently being impeached by parliement.

Apparently more backers of Ahmadenijad have been arrested. His top aid, who was set to run in the next presidential election, has been blocked from doing so. The accusations made against him used the term "deviant current" which seeks to challenge the theocracy rule.

Iranian politics aside for the moment, this seems to be coming at an unusual time. With the unconfirmed suggestions about an Israeli strike on Iran, could it be possible this might be some back door attempt to head that off? Ahmadenijad has ratcheted up tensions with his fire brand speeches and confrontational demeanor, while parliment and the ayatollah have been running their own agenda that, from the outside, looks to be an attempt to isolate Ahmadenijad for possible removal.

If Iran is attacked, could there be a possibility that the Ayatollah / Parliment would be concerned about an uprising? Anger at Ahmadenijad, his policies which resulted in sanctions, confrontational atitude etc arent exactly secret. Has the Iranian government seen the writing on the wall, that Ahamdenijad might bring them all down?

There is still the unresolved issues surrounding the assasination plot. I have been thinking about that and remeber the news reporting that their were direct contacts between the Iranian UN Ambassador and the Us Government.

Since the ayatollah controls the Iranian diplomatic corp, could that meeting between the US and Iran revolved around the evidence of the assasination plot and could it be possible that evidence links back to ahmadenijad? I wonder what the possibility is that the US government is giving the Iranian Parliment / Ayatollah the information to end Ahmadenijads presidency before a war breaks out?

I know the US government, with no lost love regarding the Ayatollah, actually view Ahmadenijad as more radical and dangerous than the Ayatollah / Iranian government.

Sec. Clinton in the past has warned the Iranian government through public statements that Ahmadenijad was going down the path of replacing the theocratic rule and moving it to a military dictatorship.

Thoughts?

if i were him i would just resign. Not because of internal struggles just because he's a dead man
in the near future anway.

A wild theory comes to mind.

If TPTB replace their current "regime" in Iran to suit a new "approved" agenda,

a new "regime" could transfer even more wealth away from the citizens.

Iran's net foreign assets are huge.

$663.8 Trillion in 2009.

steady increases since 1998.

Iran, Islamic Rep. - net foreign assets

Definition: Net foreign assets are the sum of foreign assets held by monetary authorities and deposit money banks, less their foreign liabilities. Data are in current local currency.

Source: International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics and data files.

Think about Where those assets are if there not in Iran?
And WHO really has control?

Iran's amendment to it's Constitution in 2004 says they are "privatizing" 80% of their state-owned assets.

Including oil refineries !

I Wonder WHO is "owning" them when this is accomplished when the 10-year plan is finished?

The next few years will be interesting for business.

I wonder WHO "owns" whatever is already completed?


The whole political structure may need to change because of this "plan".

Maybe that's the real "hidden plan" we are not hearing much about in the West !


source from Aug 2011 (Iranian source)
Iran Plans Privatizing Oil Refineries

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, is due to implement a major economic plan to privatize its oil refineries in line with its privatization scheme.

Managing-Director of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) Alireza Zeiqami announced that seven of the country's nine oil refineries will be ceded to the private sector by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2012).

"National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company and its subsidiaries will become privatized. At least 11 companies and refineries will cede their shares to the private sector later this year," he stated.

Zeiqami, who is also deputy oil minister, said that domestic and foreign investors can purchase the shares of the refineries through the Privatization Organization of Iran.

Article 44 of the Iranian Constitution stipulates that the country's economic system shall be based on public, cooperative and private sectors.

All large-scale industries, mother industries, foreign trade, large mines, banking, insurance, power supply, dams and large irrigation channels, radio and television, post, telegraph and telephone, aviation, shipping, roads, rails, refineries and the like are public property and under the guidance of the government.

A 2004 amendment to the Article, however, has set in motion a ten-year plan to privatize eighty percent of Iran's state-owned assets.

reply to post by xuenchen


Thanks for the info. When I saw the 663 trillion number I was thinking it must be wrong. While looking at your source I saw it states the values are in local currency. So 663 trillion is a reflection using the rial.

I forgot to mention that a few months back the Iranian government was discussing the possibility of phasing out the President position that is elected by the people and heading over to a Prime Minister setup where the top clerics chooses the person and removes the ability of Iranians to elect their leader so to speak.

I just get the feeling that somethings not right. Granted tensions have been running high within the Iranian government and the various leaders.

Im still thinking these actions are occuring in an effort to stave of an attack of their nuclear facilities.

reply to post by Xcathdra

Thanks for the info. When I saw the 663 trillion number I was thinking it must be wrong. While looking at your source I saw it states the values are in local currency. So 663 trillion is a reflection using the rial.

yes, I got confused myself.


663.8 Trillion Iranian Rials = $61 Billion US Dollars
(as of today)


Currency Converter

reply to post by Xcathdra


Iran is already a dictatorship. It is ruled by a theocracy. Not much different than a military dictatorship, both control all aspects of the government. The only difference is a theocracy commands that the people are only allowed to watch certain types of material on television (that being pure religious), tells them what to think and how to think it. Yep, not much difference between the 2 imo.