NCRI – Military commanders, senior officials refuse to participate
In the Saturday’s inauguration ceremony held for Iran regime’s President Hassan Rouhani, none of the former presidents, Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commanders, Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, former presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi, and 36 MPs were present.
“The absence of Ghalibaf, being the mayor of the host city of this event while guests have come from all over the world, is quite significant. The mayor must definitely have participated,” a state-run media outlet reported.
Despite regime outlets attempting to portray this event as a major boost for the entire regime’s apparatus in the Parliament, this faux became nothing but an element to further deepen existing factional rifts.
Gholam-Hossein Elham, a former member of the regime’s Guardian Council, said the absence of clergy in Rouhani’s inauguration further decreases the credibility of such an event.
“IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Raisi, Hashemi Shahroudi, head of the Branches Council, Mohsen Rezai, Secretary of the Expediency Council, and former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were absent during Rouhani’s inauguration,” according to the state-run Aftab News website.
“In his speech, instead of criticizing the mother of all sanctions, Rouhani described the nuclear talks as the mother of the negotiations,” Kayhan daily wrote. This outlet is known to be the mouthpiece of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“During his inauguration the president spoke of the mother of all negotiations after the United States imposed sweeping and unprecedented sanctions against Iran after the JCPOA. These measures have been described as the mother of all sanctions,” the Kayhan piece added.
“Images of various MPs taking selfies with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini have been published, showing how these MPs are in line for such selfies. Mogherini, without taking into consideration the newly imposed US sanctions against Iran, spoke of both parties living up to their commitments. Mogherini is the foreign policy chief of a union whose members have condemned Iran’s rocket launch that can place a satellite in space. This measure by Iran is by no means in violation of the JCPOA. On the other hand, while neglecting the harsh sanctions imposed again Iran, which are in complete JCPOA violation, she continued her words and Iran’s MPs lined up for their selfies…”
This daily also published another piece criticizing the high expenses provided for the inauguration ceremony.
“Ahmad Tavakoli says closing down Tehran for this event has come at a cost of 80 trillion rials ($2.4 billion),” Kayhan added.
“It has reached the point that many state hospitals are not only in debt to drug distributors, but also bakeries and even butchers… In such circumstances, is it logical for the government to impose such heavy costs on the country’s economy?” the piece continues.
Javan daily, associated to the IRGC, reminded Rouhani how the ceremony held prior to the inauguration, during which Khamenei blessed Rouhani’s 2nd term, are anything but ceremonial. Khamenei also added, “It is obvious that my blessing and the vote of the people will only remain so if this individual (referring to Rouhani) remains loyal to his commitments.”