[New York Times] Neil MacFarquhar - Ahmadinejad has filled crucial ministries and other top posts with close friends and allies who have spread ideological and operational support for him nationwide. Ahmadinejad has changed all 30 of the country's governors, all the city managers, and even third- and fourth-level civil servants in important ministries like the Interior Ministry. Analysts estimate that he has replaced 10,000 government employees to cement his loyalists throughout the bureaucracies, so that his allies run the organizations responsible for both the contested election returns and the official organs that have endorsed them. "There is a whole political establishment that emerged with Ahmadinejad, which is now determined to hold on to power undemocratically," said one American-based Iran analyst.
2009-06-25 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive