Ahmadinejad continues to lose power in the parliament

WORLD NEWS: "Conservatives Dominate Vote; President's Opponents Gain," wire reports, Wall Street Journal, 28 April 2008, p. A10.

The "hard-line leader is growing increasingly vulnerable ahead of a bid for re-election next year."

Conservatives dominate the parliament, but there are the technocratic/normalizers (those who want more normal relations with the world) and the ideological agitators of Ahmadinejad's stripe. The president's supports control 117 of the 290 seats, with the rest spread among the technocratic conservatives, moderates and reformists.

Comments

[Mark in Texas]

How is Iranian politics going to react to an Israeli air strike?

Now that Barak Obama is the presumptive Democrat candidate and very likely the next President of the United States, the Israelis are pretty much certain to bomb Iran before next January 20.

[VoteWithTroops]

Good point, Mark in Texas, except that, like the US, Israel is also politically divided and (also) may not be able to muster the political will for such action against Iran, especially with Olmert at the helm (which could change very soon as he is under investigation for corruption).

Barnett's post here is encouraging though. Hopefully Iranians will throw out the repressive, Bring-On-Armageddon / Invoke-the-12th-Iman's-Return crowd before their single refinery goes up in smoke. Nearly thirty years and counting, we've been hoping. As in every nation, Iranian youth is their future. Will they choose connectivity-prosperity-women's liberation or martyrdom? Will they be left alone to choose on their own?