In a candid conversation with Rooz, the former head of article 90 (of the Constitution) committee of the eight Majlis said that the deep and major problems facing the country will only deepen if President Ahmadinejad continues to be the head of the executive branch.
This Majlis committee is responsible for addressing public grievances against the government, and the sixth Majlis, which convened between 2000 and 2004, housed a large number of reformist representatives. In his talk with Rooz, Ansari said, “People understand economic problems completely and in all their aspects. This is an issue that is seriously bothering people. I also believe that the public suffers from many bad domestic policies that negate freedom of expression, the right to father and form associations, have a free press, and the right to securely criticize and ask question and believe that they are deprived of these rights.”
Ansari also touched on foreign affairs and said, “the public is after resolving the country’s problems with the international community. They are not after quarrels and the continuation of the current problems. People’s nerves have been wrecked because of so many conflicts with the international community – which have no material or spiritual value for them anyway. They are seriously concerned and look for a person who will create breakthroughs in all of these issues.”
On the forthcoming elections and the view shared by many that the conclusion of the elections are foregone and Ahmadinejad would win another four years of the presidency, Ansari said, “This is a weak idea. Ahmadinejad has failed in all the aspects of life including the economic, spiritual, ethical, political, domestic affairs, foreign affairs, social affairs, etc. This is not something that only reformers have realized and raise. Even hardliners (or Principalists as they are known in Iran) talk about them and acknowledge it. Particularly, the pragmatic hardliners who view Ahmadinejad’s defeat at the June elections with certainty. They believe he is a burden on them which has created a deadlock and they want to free themselves from the issues he has imposed on them. Ahmadinejad’s defeat is certain unless a miracle takes place.”
Comparing the President’s image today and four years ago when he was campaigning for the presidency, Ansari said, “He has failed despite all the money he has spent. The effects of inflation and rising costs of life are all too real to be ignored. People feel these pressures in every aspect of their life. With the exception of a few who have made huge profits, the majority are suffering.”
Concern About Fraud in the Forthcoming Elections
Ansari spoke about what he views to the most important issue in the upcoming elections, which is fraud. “There is concern and it is not little. But I hope the volume of public participation in the elections will be so great that even rigging and fraud would not change the results. But reformers must realize that they are not powerless. They can place their election monitors where actions take place in order to prevent any outside interference. If in fact fraud takes place, then it must be stopped in any way possible.”
Turning the subject of his talk to the unexpected and unprecedented revenues of the administration because of a hike in oil prices last year, Ansari said the administration made some very dangerous decision during Ahmadinejad’s tenure, adding, “The Central Bank of Iran recently published some statistics that during former President Khatami’s eight years in office, the country income stood at $97 billion while during the last three years alone this figure was $200 billion. During the last year of Khatami’s presidency inflation in the country was about 10 percent, while today it is around 25 percent. All economic indicators today show a regression when compared to the pre-Ahmadinejad period. In addition to this, he has also extended his reach into the treasury and foreign exchange reserves and spent without any accountability,” adding to the macro economic issues of the country.
