SECURITY FORCES clashed with hundreds of protesters outside parliament yesterday as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in as Iran’s president.
The inauguration, almost eight weeks after Mr Ahmadinejad’s disputed election victory, highlighted again the divide in the country’s political and clerical elite. Former presidents Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, a conservative, and Mohammad Khatami, a reformist, were among senior leaders who boycotted the ceremony in a move designed to withhold recognition from the new government.
After taking the oath of office, Mr Ahmadinejad vowed in a speech to continue and strengthen the domestic and international policies of the past four years which, he said, would open a “new chapter” in the three-decade history of the Islamic revolution.
He added that Iran pursued “equal and friendly relations” with other countries. But it would “stand against the bullying forces [a reference to the West] and will make efforts to reform global structures to the benefit of nations”.
But as the president took office, security forces, made up of riot police and the elite revolutionary guards, patrolled the streets leading to the parliament and Tehran’s main squares to crack down on any demonstrations. Witnesses said some shops and a state-owned bank in the Tehran bazaar closed amid fears of damage.
At least 20 people were killed and hundreds were detained in the violent crackdown by security forces that followed the poll. Iran’s opposition, led by Mir Hussein Moussavi, who claims the June 12th election was stolen from him, insists the government lacks legitimacy and has vowed to continue the protests.
Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, Iran’s supreme leader, has warned the opposition to work with the new government but some MPs stayed away from the ceremony, indicating that Mr Ahmadinejad might have difficulty in forcing through some of his cabinet nominations.
Ali Larijani, the parliamentary speaker who is believed to have supported Mr Moussavi in the presidential election, said in the inauguration ceremony that the legislative body would stand by the new government.
The election result has created a huge split within the regime, even though the heads of parliament and the judiciary have decided against joining the opposition.
Mr Rafsanjani, however, has refused to endorse the new government. His daughter-in-law was arrested and later released, according to the semi-official Fars news agency, after attending an opposition rally on Monday. The editor of Farhikhtegan daily, which is close to Mr Rafsanjani, was arrested on Tuesday.
There were also growing calls by fundamentalists for Mr Khatami and Mr Moussavi to be put on trial for continuing to challenge the general election results.
Western diplomats, including the British ambassador, were present at the ceremony, despite Iran’s allegations that they incited the post-election unrest.
A second day in the trial of political prisoners who were arrested in the aftermath of the election protests will begin today, despite condemnation from reformists that the first one, held over last weekend, was a “show” trial.
Coverage of last Saturday’s trial included “confessions” from some defendants – including senior former officials – who pleaded guilty to masterminding a “velvet coup”.