Ahmadinejad Seeks Iranian Legacy
Ali Hashem reports from Tehran that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad considers the candidacy of his close aide and cousin, the controversial Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaei, as key to his legacy.
TEHRAN – The streets of Tehran are more than busy these days; Iranians are only days away from their Persian new year, Nowruz. Wherever you go in the Iranian capital, signs of the 3000-year-old cultural celebration surround you.
It's a new year indeed—a year a new president will be elected to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But people here prefer not to think about the election right now. According to Ali Akbar, an Iranian I met in the famous Vali Asr street to the north of Tehran, "it's time to celebrate!"
"Why should we start worrying now? We still have three months." Akbar stared at his wife to make sure his answer was right. "Yes, only three months," she said, urging him along.
Many Iranians would have the same reaction as Ali Akbar. However, there are others, especially those who are directly linked to and affected by the election, who have already started worrying. I am speaking here of the politicians.
