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Presidential Politics and Iran's Food Stamp Program

Barely a week after Iran's parliament passed a food stamp plan, there's an effort to scuttle the scheme and use it to advantage in the upcoming presidential election.
EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

A general view of a parliament session in Tehran November 1, 2011. Iran's parliament is threatening to impeach two of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's ministers, in a new wave of pressure against the president who is under attack from lawmakers. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS CRIME LAW) - RTR2THAP

Iran’s parliament approved a plan to issue food stamps [Feb. 24] every third month to beneficiaries of the Imam Khomeini's Relief Foundation and the Welfare Organization, more commonly known as Iran’s poor.

The stamps for staples of rice, sugar, oil and meat are designed to support the value of existing welfare payments, which have been eroded by high Inflation in the Islamic Republic. They are the brainchild of Ahmad Tavakoli, a member of parliament and a prominent government critic who has a doctorate in economics from Britain’s Nottingham University. According to Tavakoli, the stamps will be issued to the 7 million poorest Iranians and have been made necessary due to the high inflation caused by Iran’s currency crisis and the Ahmadinejad administration’s poor fiscal control.

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