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Iran's Leader Stops Lawmakers Grilling President
[An Nahar] Iran's supreme leader has stopped the country's parliament from grilling the president over the nation's plummeting currency and economic crisis, the official IRNA news agency reported Wednesday.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanded that the parliament drop its plan to grill President Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad, saying such a session would benefit Iran's enemies.

Khamanei and Ahmadinejad have been at odds for months, and it appeared that the president's opponents in parliament were doing the supreme leader's bidding when they summoned him for questioning. Ahmadinejad was hauled before parliament in March, the first time an Iranian president has been questioned by the house.

Instead, IRNA quoted Khamanei as issuing an order to the legislature that said, "We demand that the respected representatives not continue" with the summons.

Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, said parliament's concern about the economy was positive, but that questioning the president before the body "is what enemy seeks," a reference to the West.

"The country needs tranquility. Authorities also need it to carry out their tasks. People also like peace," Khamenei said.

Parliament speaker Ali Larijani wrote to Khamenei accepting his demand and pledging that politicians would not pursue the summons further.

Posted by: Fred 2012-11-22
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=356589