VZCZCXRO2907
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHDIR #0026/01 1220857
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 010857Z MAY 08
FM IRAN RPO DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0270
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0202
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0234
RUEHDIR/IRAN RPO DUBAI 0263

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 IRAN RPO DUBAI 000026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR GAYLE, BERLIN FOR PAETZOLD 
BAKU FOR HAUGEN, ISTANBUL FOR ODLUM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  5/1/2018 
TAGS: IR PGOV
SUBJECT: AHMADINEJAD AT ODDS WITH MAJLES SPEAKER 
 
REF: RPO DUBAI 0003 
 
RPO DUBAI 00000026  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Ramin Asgard,  Acting Director, Iran Regional 
Presence Office, DoS. 
REASON: 1.4 (d) 
 
1.(C) Summary: Conflicts between President Ahmadinejad and 
Majles speaker Haddad-Adel flared again when Iranian news 
published a scathing letter from the president to the speaker 
April 21 accusing him of violating the constitution.  This 
follows other public battles this year between the president and 
the legislature on issues including the government budget.  This 
latest dispute led to a comment by Supreme Leader Khamenei April 
23 calling on government officials to avoid clashes and 
fault-finding.  This conflict may be important in light of the 
2009 presidential election, as there is speculation that 
Haddad-Adel will throw his hat in the ring.  Both Ahmadinejad 
and Haddad-Adel are considered to have the support of Supreme 
Leader Khamenei, but if Haddad-Adel does have presidential 
aspirations, then Khamenei may be obliged to choose between the 
two men.  However, there is no clear indication as yet that 
Ahmadinejad has lost Khamenei's support, despite the widespread 
criticism of the president's economic performance.  End summary. 
 
Ahmadinejad in public clash with Haddad-Adel 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
2.(U) The periodic political scuffles between President 
Ahmadinejad and Majles speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel reached 
new levels April 21 when Iranian press published a scathing 
letter from Ahmadinejad to Haddad-Adel accusing him of "illegal 
actions" and violating the constitution.  The basis of 
Ahmadinejad's complaints was Haddad-Adel's order to publish in 
the Majles Official Register the texts of some recent bills that 
had been voted into law by the Majles, but which the president 
had reportedly refused to implement.  Publication in the 
official register obligates the government to implement the law 
within 15 days.  According to the text of the letter published 
by domestic news outlet ISNA, Ahmadinejad wrote, "Who is 
responsible for these allegations and allowing the president's 
enemies to attack him?  Who should investigate your wrongdoings? 
 And how can this damage be compensated?  How can ignorance 
toward and breach of the country's constitution by the Majles 
speaker be justified and explained?  Is this not classed as a 
serious blow against the country's legislative system?"  The 
letter was published by several newspapers, but state-run 
television and radio did not report on the letter at all, for 
which they were criticized by a website close to the president. 
 
3.(U) Haddad-Adel responded to the harsh public attack with a 
public letter of his own, defending himself and charging that 
the economic troubles facing the country are more important than 
Ahmadinejad's complaints in the letter.  The reformist 
Aftab-e-Yazd newspaper published the full text of Haddad-Adel's 
letter, which cited the constitutional obligation of the 
parliament speaker to ensure that the laws passed by the Majles 
are published in the official register.  Haddad-Adel called the 
tone of Ahmadinejad's letter "unsuitable" and that he did not 
intend to reply in the same tone.  The letter stated, "Dr. 
Ahmadinejad, you may be sure that most representatives and I 
personally intend as we have in the past to collaborate with and 
back Your Excellency's government...At the same time, the law 
has set certain duties both for the president and the speaker 
and members of parliament, and these must be done...People have 
greater and more important problems, the most important of which 
today are prices, inflation, and the very sharp rise in housing 
prices, as Your Excellency is well aware.  People expect 
parliament and the government to work together and find ways to 
resolve the economic problems of more deprived sectors, not 
confront each other at the provocation of politicians and 
political currents." 
 
4.(U) The public disagreements between Ahmadinejad and 
Haddad-Adel first made national and international news in 
January 2008, over the issue of the government budget (reftel). 
The Majles passed a law in January requiring the government to 
supply gas to northern cities in Iran that were affected by 
unusually harsh winter storms.  Ahmadinejad not only refused to 
implement the law, but in a letter to Haddad-Adel called it 
unconstitutional.  A frustrated Haddad-Adel read Ahmadinejad's 
letter in front of the Majles, and asserted (accurately) that it 
is the role of the Guardian Council, not the president, to 
determine the constitutionality of Majles laws. 
 
 
RPO DUBAI 00000026  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Supreme Leader mediates 
 
------------------------------- 
 
5.(U) To resolve the budget dispute in January, Haddad-Adel 
appealed for mediation to Supreme Leader Khamenei, who issued a 
somewhat vaguely worded statement that was interpreted as 
supporting Haddad-Adel's position.  "All the legal ratifications 
that have undergone the process specified in the constitution 
are binding for all branches of government," Khamenei stated. 
This latest dispute in April between Ahmadinejad and Haddad-Adel 
also led to a comment by Supreme Leader Khamenei--who generally 
prefers to stay above the political fray, at least 
publicly--calling on government officials to avoid clashes.  "We 
and the Iranian people should act in a manner that would urge 
officials of the country to work together in a harmonious 
manner, and to avoid differences, disputes, clashes and 
fault-finding among themselves," Khamenei said in an April 23 
speech that focused on other issues. 
 
6.(C) Comment: There is much speculation that Haddad-Adel is 
planning to challenge Ahmadinejad for the presidency in the 2009 
election, and these public disagreements serve to differentiate 
Haddad-Adel from the president and his failing economic 
policies.  However, the key issue is the support of the Supreme 
Leader.  Both Ahmadinejad and Haddad-Adel are considered to have 
Khamenei's support, but if Haddad-Adel does have presidential 
aspirations, then Khamenei may be obliged to choose between the 
two men.  However, there is no clear indication as yet that 
Ahmadinejad has lost Khamenei's support, despite the widespread 
criticism of the president's economic performance. 
ASGARD