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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Ahmadinejad sworn in as police break up protests |
| 2009-08-05 |
| Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in as Iranian president on Wednesday as riot police broke up an opposition protest after an election that triggered the worst turmoil in the Islamic republic's history. The 52-year-old hardliner took the oath of office for another four-year term at a ceremony in parliament, but outside police used pepper gas against demonstrators who claim his landslide election victory in June was fraudulent, witnesses said. Hundreds of policemen, including riot police and members of the Basij volunteer Islamic militia, were on the streets outside parliament for the ceremony, where Ahmadinejad vowed that his election marked the beginning of major change for Iran and the world. Wednesday's ceremony was attended by about 240 of Iran's 290 MPs as well as clerics, but notable by his absence was powerful cleric and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who has criticised the regime over the election crisis. Ahmadinejad's presidency was formally endorsed on Monday by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who described him as "courageous, astute and hardworking." Opposition leaders including Ahmadinejad's defeated rival Mir Hossein Mousavi and former president Mohammad Khatami were pointedly absent on Monday, as was Rafsanjani who suffered an upset defeat to Ahmadinejad in 2005. Iran's judiciary chief on Tuesday urged the country's bitterly divided political groups to unite. "I hope all officials understand the situation and maintain unity," said Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi. "I hope they do what is best for the revolution, the regime, and Islam and disappoint the enemies." |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #1 To quote Roozonline: The absence of senior state officials was so conspicuous that it forced the state-run IRNA news agency to use photographs from the presidentÂ’s first swearing-in ceremony four years ago in lieu of photographs taken at yesterday |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2009-08-05 12:38 |