AHMADINEJAD AT ODDS WITH MAJLES SPEAKER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 IRAN RPO DUBAI 000026

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/1/2018
TAGS: IR PGOV
SUBJECT: AHMADINEJAD AT ODDS WITH MAJLES SPEAKER

REF: RPO DUBAI 0003

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CLASSIFIED BY: Ramin Asgard, Acting Director, Iran Regional
Presence Office, DoS.
REASON: 1.4 (d)

1.(C) Summary: Conflicts between President Ahmadinejad and
Majles speaker Haddad-Adel flared again when Iranian news
published a scathing letter from the president to the speaker
April 21 accusing him of violating the constitution. This
follows other public battles this year between the president and
the legislature on issues including the government budget. This
latest dispute led to a comment by Supreme Leader Khamenei April
23 calling on government officials to avoid clashes and
fault-finding. This conflict may be important in light of the
2009 presidential election, as there is speculation that
Haddad-Adel will throw his hat in the ring. Both Ahmadinejad
and Haddad-Adel are considered to have the support of Supreme
Leader Khamenei, but if Haddad-Adel does have presidential
aspirations, then Khamenei may be obliged to choose between the
two men. However, there is no clear indication as yet that
Ahmadinejad has lost Khamenei's support, despite the widespread
criticism of the president's economic performance. End summary.

Ahmadinejad in public clash with Haddad-Adel

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2.(U) The periodic political scuffles between President
Ahmadinejad and Majles speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel reached
new levels April 21 when Iranian press published a scathing
letter from Ahmadinejad to Haddad-Adel accusing him of "illegal
actions" and violating the constitution. The basis of
Ahmadinejad's complaints was Haddad-Adel's order to publish in
the Majles Official Register the texts of some recent bills that
had been voted into law by the Majles, but which the president
had reportedly refused to implement. Publication in the
official register obligates the government to implement the law
within 15 days. According to the text of the letter published
by domestic news outlet ISNA, Ahmadinejad wrote, "Who is
responsible for these allegations and allowing the president's
enemies to attack him? Who should investigate your wrongdoings?
And how can this damage be compensated? How can ignorance
toward and breach of the country's constitution by the Majles
speaker be justified and explained? Is this not classed as a
serious blow against the country's legislative system?" The
letter was published by several newspapers, but state-run
television and radio did not report on the letter at all, for
which they were criticized by a website close to the president.

3.(U) Haddad-Adel responded to the harsh public attack with a
public letter of his own, defending himself and charging that
the economic troubles facing the country are more important than
Ahmadinejad's complaints in the letter. The reformist
Aftab-e-Yazd newspaper published the full text of Haddad-Adel's
letter, which cited the constitutional obligation of the
parliament speaker to ensure that the laws passed by the Majles
are published in the official register. Haddad-Adel called the
tone of Ahmadinejad's letter "unsuitable" and that he did not
intend to reply in the same tone. The letter stated, "Dr.
Ahmadinejad, you may be sure that most representatives and I
personally intend as we have in the past to collaborate with and
back Your Excellency's government...At the same time, the law
has set certain duties both for the president and the speaker
and members of parliament, and these must be done...People have
greater and more important problems, the most important of which
today are prices, inflation, and the very sharp rise in housing
prices, as Your Excellency is well aware. People expect
parliament and the government to work together and find ways to
resolve the economic problems of more deprived sectors, not
confront each other at the provocation of politicians and
political currents."

4.(U) The public disagreements between Ahmadinejad and
Haddad-Adel first made national and international news in
January 2008, over the issue of the government budget (reftel).
The Majles passed a law in January requiring the government to
supply gas to northern cities in Iran that were affected by
unusually harsh winter storms. Ahmadinejad not only refused to
implement the law, but in a letter to Haddad-Adel called it
unconstitutional. A frustrated Haddad-Adel read Ahmadinejad's
letter in front of the Majles, and asserted (accurately) that it
is the role of the Guardian Council, not the president, to
determine the constitutionality of Majles laws.


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Supreme Leader mediates

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5.(U) To resolve the budget dispute in January, Haddad-Adel
appealed for mediation to Supreme Leader Khamenei, who issued a
somewhat vaguely worded statement that was interpreted as
supporting Haddad-Adel's position. "All the legal ratifications
that have undergone the process specified in the constitution
are binding for all branches of government," Khamenei stated.
This latest dispute in April between Ahmadinejad and Haddad-Adel
also led to a comment by Supreme Leader Khamenei--who generally
prefers to stay above the political fray, at least
publicly--calling on government officials to avoid clashes. "We
and the Iranian people should act in a manner that would urge
officials of the country to work together in a harmonious
manner, and to avoid differences, disputes, clashes and
fault-finding among themselves," Khamenei said in an April 23
speech that focused on other issues.

6.(C) Comment: There is much speculation that Haddad-Adel is
planning to challenge Ahmadinejad for the presidency in the 2009
election, and these public disagreements serve to differentiate
Haddad-Adel from the president and his failing economic
policies. However, the key issue is the support of the Supreme
Leader. Both Ahmadinejad and Haddad-Adel are considered to have
Khamenei's support, but if Haddad-Adel does have presidential
aspirations, then Khamenei may be obliged to choose between the
two men. However, there is no clear indication as yet that
Ahmadinejad has lost Khamenei's support, despite the widespread
criticism of the president's economic performance.
ASGARD