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Iran Chief Eclipses Power of Clerics

(New York Times) Michael Slackman - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is trying to consolidate power in the office of the presidency in a way never before seen in the 27-year history of the Islamic Republic, according to Iranian government officials and political analysts. Analysts say Ahmadinejad and his allies are trying to buttress a system of conservative clerical rule that has lost credibility with the public. Their strategy hinges on trying to win concessions from the West on Iran's nuclear program and opening direct, high-level talks with the U.S., while easing social restrictions and cracking down on political dissent. For the first time since the revolution, a president has overshadowed the nation's chief cleric, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on both domestic and international affairs. In this theocratic system, where appointed religious leaders hold ultimate power, the presidency is a relatively weak position. But many of those watching in near disbelief at the speed and aggression with which the president is seeking to accumulate power assume that he is operating with the full support of Ayatollah Khamenei.
2006-05-29 00:00:00
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