Parliament plans Ahmadinejad inauguration

Tehran, NU Online
Iran's Majlis (Parliament) has set the date for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to take the oath of office for a second term, the legislative body says.

First Deputy Speaker of the Majlis Mohammad-Reza Bahonar said Tuesday that Ahmadinejad will be sworn in as the 10th president of the Islamic Republic between August 2 and 6.

The ceremony will be held a day after Ahmadinejad is confirmed by Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as the country's president and his new Cabinet is unveiled.

The news comes as senior officials are focusing their efforts to unify the nation following the disputed presidential election, presstv.ir reported.

After weeks of intense campaigning, millions of Iranians went to the ballots on June 12 and voted. Among four approved hopefuls, President Ahmadinejad was declared victor with almost two-thirds of the votes.

The official outcome of the election provoked days of street protests mainly in Tehran, with defeated rivals Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi charging that Ahmadinejad's landslide re-election was the result of widespread fraud. They demanded a re-run of the vote.

The illegal protests triggered a decisive crackdown by security forces and roundups of whoever instigated riots across the country. The situation prompted officials to seek measures to re-unite the divided nation.

Ayatollah Khamenei called on protesters to abide by the law; President Ahmadinejad asked the opposition to drop the pre-election mentality and plan for Iran's future. Mousavi and Karroubi, however, urged their supporters to continue their complaints and opposition 'legally.'

Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei, the other defeated presidential candidate, warned on Sunday that the continuation of post-election turmoil could lead to the country's 'implosion.'

Rezaei, a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), asked Mousavi and Karroubi to abandon their opposition and work with the president.

He, meanwhile, urged the Ahmadinejad administration to differentiate between the "dissidents and dissatisfied people" and those who move against Iranian interests. (dar)