Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Iran’s Council of Expediency of “straining the country’s management” and criticized the heads of legislature and judiciary of supporting the Council in these efforts.
In a letter to the parliament, in which rather than the customary address to the speaker of the parliament he addresses the MPs, Ahmadinejad states that the Expediency Council is supported by the heads of the legislature and the judiciary in interfering in the affairs of the government.
Ahmadinejad notes the insistence of the parliament’s management to go against the recommendations of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei by proposing to withdraw the president’s privileges in the appointment of the Central Bank’s chief executive.
Ahmadinejad accuses the Expediency Council of violating the articles of the constitution and throwing obstacles in the path of the government “which at the height of foreign pressure is responsible for carrying out the most important socio-economic plans in the country.”
The parliament has proposed that while the president is responsible for appointment of the head of the Central Bank, the choice has to also receive a vote of confidence from the parliament.
After the parliament’s proposal was rejected by the Guardian Council, the parliament appealed to the authority of the Expediency Council to approve this proposal.
Ahmadinejad has challenged this move and appealed to the Supreme Leader for support.
The cutting of government subsidies has been a sore point of argument between Ahmadinejad and the parliament in the past year. Ahmadinejad has been intent on keeping complete authority in handling the economy and using the surplus budget that the plan would create for the government.
