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TEHRAN - Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani withdrew from the new parliament on Thursday, heading off allegations of election fraud that threatened Iran's Islamic system.
Rafsanjani said in a letter read on state television he had acted for the good of the revolution.
"A heavy dose of adverse and poisonous propaganda by enemies created an ambiguous and doubtful atmosphere and there are still ambiguities (about election results) which could be used by internal and foreign enemies against the system."
In recent days, Rafsanjani's position had become increasingly untenable, as rival politicians and the public at large questioned official results of his standing.
Increasingly angry students denounced him at a pair of recent rallies, raising the specter of a repetition of last year's campus protests that sparked the worst unrest since the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Rafsanjani remains the head of the
Expediency Council, which has the final say in disputes over new laws between
the parliament and the watchdog Guardian Council. And his grip on a powerful
network of political patronage appears as sure as ever.
Iran Family At Last Buries Victim Of July Unrest, Reuters, May 24
SHIRAZ - A teenager killed in Iran's worst civil unrest since the aftermath of the 1979 revolution has been buried in his native village 11 months after his disappearance and death. "He was hit from behind and his brains were blown out," Mohktar's brother, Didar Ebrahimi-Far, told Reuters.
Iranian authorities, including Mohammad Khatami, have said that no shots were fired in the clamp-down after a week of unrest that followed an attack by police and vigilantes on a peaceful student rally on July 8-9.
But witnesses, including Western correspondents, reported that automatic weapons fire was used.
Officials say hundreds were injured
and one person was killed in the six-day unrest, but students say the numbers
are considerably higher.
Mojahedin Operations Undermine Mullahs, Asharq Al-Awsat, May 17
Excerpts:
The key operations by the People's Mojahedin in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and its quick response to operations carried out against it [by Tehran] arouse a series of questions about its abilities and impact on Iran's security situation and whether or not the Iranian regime has enough power to contain its blows…
… It seems that the political chaos in Iran is a by-product of a conflict among major players jockeying to control the centers of power in the country… Understanding the [role] of the Mojahedin organization is vital in understanding this situation.
While we do not intend to engage in propaganda for or against the Mojahedin, we must acknowledge that its considerable capabilities leave no room for Iran's political and security establishment to ignore it.
Although a large percentage of them are women, almost all of the Mojahedin forces in Iraq have undergone rigorous military training. More recent reports indicate that the number of its forces has increased. The organization has tanks, artillery and advanced equipment compared with Iranian and Iraqi forces.…
What the Mojahedin have inside Iran in the form of well-organized underground bases in an impressive network unrivaled in Iran, making the organization a real power in shaping events and attempting to destabilize the regime's political security…
The organization has been successful in delivering serious blows to the regime. Last one of Iran's top brass, Major General Ali Sayyad Shirazi. Subsequently, their operations developed into dangerous levels such as attacking the Presidential headquarters [last February], command headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards and the Guards' Sarollah barracks. In this way, the organization evaluated its attacks on the Iranian regime's sensitive nervous system, undermining its ability to govern.
The organization has an important base of support among Iranians abroad. The demonstration it organized last year during Khatami's visit to France provided a clear picture of the extent of its influence, complete dominance over the activities of opposition abroad…
Doubtless, the Iranian regime considers the Mojahedin as a real threat and security concern which cannot be ignored, because the operations carried out by the organization have led to the following: