Nader Irani

With the deterioration of economic conditions in Iran, critics of Ahmadinejad administration's ‎economic policies have increased their volume. Now, such voices are not confined only to the ‎faction opposing the administration, but include the ninth administration's past supporters as ‎well. ‎

In the latest reaction to reports presented by Ahmadinejad and his cabinet ministers on the ‎country's economic conditions, Mohammad Reza Bahonar, Vice Speaker of the eighth Majlis ‎and one of Ahmadinejad's steadfast supporters in the seventh Majlis noted concern over the huge ‎‎30 billion dollar budget deficit. ‎

The Majlis Research Center, headed by Ahmad Tavakkoli, another prominent conservative ‎lawmaker, warned last spring about "huge withdrawals" from the foreign currency reserves ‎account and announced that this action, in addition to wasting national resources, would unleash ‎inflation. ‎

However, Elias Naderan, an initial supporter of the administration who now opposes the ‎administration, went even further and accused the administration of illegally withdrawing 840 ‎million dollars from the foreign currency reserves account. ‎

Meanwhile, hardline Jomhouri Eslami newspaper quoted a member of the Majlis economic ‎committee who blamed "international sanctions and termination of certain relations of the ‎Iranian government with other nations as responsible for decrease in value of national currency ‎in recent years," adding, "the absence of clear and correct policies in the economic system, war ‎time economic conditions and limited communication following the revolution have played ‎significant roles in reducing the national currency's worth in relation to foreign currencies." ‎

While some of Ahmadinejad's supporters have begun criticizing the administration, ‎Ahmadinejad continues to accuse his opponents of sabotaging his policies, a reaction deemed by ‎former president Seyyed Mohammad Khatami to be an attempt to "destroy country's former ‎officials." Khatami insisted that the administration's claim of struggle against the United States ‎has led to "an increase in cost of running the country's affairs." ‎

Hassan Rohani, who heads the Strategic Research Center at the powerful Expediency Council, ‎criticized during a speech on September 9 of this year Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's economic ‎policies and "monthly withdrawals" from the foreign currency reserves account, adding, "During ‎this time, other than certain minor purchases from abroad and importing products, what major ‎project or significant work has been performed? During this time, we easily missed an ‎unbelievable and golden opportunity, meaning the opportunity created by 120 dollars per barrel ‎of oil. Commenting on the administration's economic policies, Mousavian noted, "Remarks and ‎slogans that were not properly calculated, researched or articulated, have imposed extraordinary ‎costs on the country." ‎

Previously, former president and current head of both Expediency Council and Assembly of ‎Experts, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, had criticized the ninth administration's policies and said, ‎‎"In these two, three years the country has regressed." In another criticism to Ahmadinejad ‎Administration's programs, Secretary General of the E'temad Melli party and former head of ‎sixth Majlis, Mehdi Karoubi, referred to erroneous reports presented by Ahmadinejad in a recent ‎meeting of "regime's servants" for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, noting, "The ‎President's report was such that it portrayed our society as the ultimate heaven. Amazing and ‎strange remarks were said in that meeting!" ‎