Ahmadinejad back in the spotlight

Dubai: Six months after the presidential election sparked waves of protests against the result, Iran's political mosaic seems to be changing shape.

It's no more reformists versus conservatives. Now the Iranians seem to be divided along the lines of pro and anti-Ahmadinejad, analysts say.

After demonstrators targeted the "dictator", university students earlier this week witnessed a new phenomenon, the condemnation of Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini by name. Also media reports have shown protesters burning pictures of the late spiritual leader Ayatollah Al Khomeini, the Islamic Republic's founder.

"In my opinion, the classification in Iran is not [anymore] reformists versus conservatives. It is the line of president Ahmadinejad, and those who are opposing him," prominent Iranian political analyst Ameer Mousavi said.

"Those against Ahmadinejad include reformists and moderates in the conservative camp, as well as other segments of society including traders and businessmen," he told Gulf News.

Change

Meanwhile, both opposition members and analysts describe footage showing the burning of posters of Khomeini and Mohammad Khatami, Iranian ex-President, as "fabricated".

"This is 100 per cent fabricated footage," Mousavi said.

"We know that during the past 30 years, even those who were against Iran's system didn't do that. This is something that is categorically rejected by all," Mousavi said.

"The reformists are aware that such acts will make them lose popular support. This is a red line that no one dares to cross even if there is a wish to do so," he added.

The footage of two unidentified men, one holding the poster while the other sets it on fire, has been shown on foreign and local media to achieve two goals, analysts say.

Foreign parties want "to show that the Iranian people are fed up with the whole system, and are seeking a change," Mousavi said.

Inside Iran it "shows that the reformists are against the late leader Khomeini".

Meanwhile, efforts to reach reconciliation between rival parties in Iran continues behind closed doors, analysts say. No tangible results have been seen.

The arrests and trial of reformists and the crackdown on local media outlets continue.

Former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is heading these efforts with the support of a number of political and religious figures from the conservative camp.

"I believe that these efforts are blessed by Khatami and maybe he strongly supports them," Mousavi said. "The problem is that we have not seen the results of these efforts so far."

Meanwhile, human rights violations in Iran have been harshly criticised by Amnesty International, which said violations were "as bad as at any time in the past 20 years".

"The Iranian leadership must ensure that the many allegations of torture, rape, unlawful killings and other abuses are fully and independently investigated," Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme, was quoted as saying by the press.

"Members of militias and officials who have committed violations must also be promptly held to account and on no account should anyone be executed".