Journalist and political analyst based in Tehran, Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, discussed in an interview with Rooz recent revelations of economic corruption by Abbas Palizdar and similar accusations, noting that, "Sometimes, an unbiased observer envisions that in the Islamic Republic of Iran, officials and activists in the social sphere fall within one of the three categories. They are either: thieves and stealers of public wealth; ethically corrupt; or suffer from political insanity or ignorance."
Mashallah Shamsolvaezin regards accusations of the kind mentioned by Palizdar as ploys to eliminate opponents from the political scene, adding, "The accusations are summarized and fall within three categories. They eliminate someone for being radical and extremist; they harm another by charging him of theft of public resources; and they eliminate another with excuses of ethical corruption. This condition for a country whose image of officials I confined to the three categories is a very negative condition."
According to this political analyst, eliminating opponents is an end in Iran, not a means: "At whatever cost, it does not matter. If the judiciary and oversight systems are so far removed from the country's economic and social conditions and officials commit economic and financial corruption in such a scale, and they simply watch and do nothing, one has to doubt the country's oversight system."
Responding to the question of, what is the aim of eliminating the opponent, Mashallah Shamsolvaezin says, "Ahmadinejad wants to eliminate all of his conservative opponents so that he remains the only one among the Rightists. Once upon a time these accusations were pointed at reformists, but now they target people within their own group. Now those who used to think that with Ahmadinejad's coming to power the government will be united and the three branches would cooperate understand that they were mistaken."
Mashallah Shamsolvaezin adds, "Mr. Ahmadinejad has enough shortcomings that people would not credit him for claiming that these revelations are to purify and reform the political and economic structure. In Ahmadinejad's era, inflation is so high and international tensions are such that no one in the country is willing to take responsibility for Ahmadinejad's actions.
Discussing Ahmadinejad's weaknesses, Shamsolvaezin says, "If Ahmadinejad wants to say that he cannot implement his promises because of these obstacles, he is in effect saying that these obstacles are stronger than he is. In addition, the new class that defends Mr. Ahmadinejad is well embroiled and involved in corrupt economic practices and projects. This Administration cannot claim that it is less corrupt than the previous ones."
