Iran: The Fight Over Economic Power
asharq alawsat / Amir Taheri
21-Aug-2009 (one comment)

Both Ahmadinejad and Mousavi have promised totransfer large chunks of the economy to the private sector. The difference between them is over who should benefit from such a transfer.

Mousavi, backed by former President Hashemi-Rafsanjani, reputed to be the wealthiest man in Iran, wants the transfer to benefit the long-established network of businessmen-cum-mullahs and their traditional bazaar partners. That would be the continuation of a policy initiated by former President Muhammad Khatami at the start of the privatization process in 2004.

Ahmadinejad is determined to fight the mullah-bazaar business coalition, which he labels "the black Mafia", and has threatened to bring "the ring-leaders" to justice on charges of corruption.

However, that does not mean that Ahmadinejad wants to create a genuine private sector
or to give the masses of the poor a fairer share of national income.

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k1s1000

Good Analysis ...

by k1s1000 on Sun Aug 23, 2009 04:08 PM PDT

This is one of those rare occasions when Mr. Taheri actually makes some sense. However, he could provide some evidence of his claims as well. For example, he could have provided the long list of Rafsanjani and family owned real-estate and huge congolamorates outside of Iran (mostly in Canada and bank accounts in Eurpoe) to show his claim of the Rafis stealing Iranians' moneis.

Not that I am a supporter of any side, but I have not heard and don't know of any IRGC owned busniesses and conglamorates outside of Iran. May be what Ahmadinejad is doing is right is after all. I guess time will tell.


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