The Latest from Iran (7 May): The Muddle of the New Parliament

See also Iran Caption Competition: The Supreme Leader Looks at a Book
The Latest from Iran (6 May): After the Election

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1935 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Senior reformist Mostafa Tajzadeh, serving a six-year prison sentence, has responded to new Revolutionary Guards charges against him. The former Deputy Minister of Interior said, "I will not appear in court before my complaint against [Ayatollah] Jannati is accepted."

Tajazadeh has accused Jannati, the head of the Guardian Council, of involvement in the manipulation of the 2009 Presidential election.

1915 GMT: The Battle Within. Only 72 hours after the conclusion of the Parliamentary elections, the Government's critics have resumed their attack. MP Ali Motahari --- his own position secured after victory in the Tehran ballot --- has said that the attempt to impeach Minister of Labor Abdolreza Sheikholeslami could resume on Tuesday.

Sheikholeslami is under fire because of his defence of controversial Presidential aide Saeed Mortazavi.

Meanwhile, Rah-e Sabz reports that, in an effort to retain Mortazavi, the Government has paid off a 35 billion Toman (about $28.5 million) debt to the Social Security Fund.

Mortazavi, criticised for his role as Tehran Prosecutor General during the abuses and killings in the Kahrizak detention centre in summer 2009, was named head of the Fund earlier this year.

1745 GMT: Sanctions Watch. In a visit with the management and staff of the Special Diseases Foundation, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani has asked, “How can Westerners claim they observe human rights when they put vital drugs for patients on their list of merciless sanctions?”

The reformist newspaper Shargh reported this weekend that there are critical shortages of 30 drugs needed for ailments such as cancer, heart disease, breathing difficulties, and multiple sclerosis.

1705 GMT: Parliament Watch. Deputy Mohammad Reza Bahonar has stated the obvious: although the arrangement of different groups within the new Parliament will be similar to that of the current one, there will be fewer reformists.

More significant is Bahonar's promotion of Ali Larijani to remain as Speaker of Parliament. Claiming that no one "has such authority and decisiveness", Bahonar declared, “Ali Larijani was the most popular person among MPs, as he has the necessary ability to create interaction and a relationship among all."

Larijani is facing a challenge from Gholam Ali Haddad Adel --- former Speaker of Parliament and member of the Supreme Leader's inner circle --- for the Speaker's post.

More on this on Tuesday....

1615 GMT: Oil Watch. Back from a break to find US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton giving the public signal that India, complying with American sanctions, is pulling back from imports of Iranian oil.

During her three-day visit to India, Clinton told a Town Hall meeting that Delhi had begun to reduce imports but could cut back even further, using supplies from countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq: "We commend the steps [the Indian Government] have taken and we hope they will do even more. There are ways for India to continue to meets its energy requirements."

Washington has given 12 nations, including India, Turkey and China, until 28 June to significantly reduce Iranian oil imports or face effective exclusion from the US banking system. The US already has granted Japan and the European Union a waiver from the sanctions after they moved to cut purchases of Iranian oil.

1050 GMT: Gulf Watch. Michael Theodoulou brings news of the latest perfidious attack by the West on Iran:

There was widespread anger in Iran in recent days after internet users spotted that Google Maps now has no name on the body of water that Iran insists must be called the Persian Gulf and nothing else.

"The efforts of [global] arrogance [America] and its Arab allies to remove the name of Persian Gulf will result in its name becoming more durable," Bahman Dorri, a senior official in Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, declared on Saturday.

The waterway also touches Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain --- the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that call it the Arabian Gulf.

"Google fabricating lies … will not have any outcome but for its users to lose trust in the data the company provides," Mr Dorri said. "The enemies cannot hide facts and evidence about the Persian Gulf. Documents in the UN and Unesco show the name of this body of water has always been 'Persian Gulf' since a long time ago."

1020 GMT: Parliament v. President. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office has denied that it will double to triple the price of gasoline in the second phase of its subsidy cuts.

Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani had declared on Friday that the increased price would be used to cover the costs of the second phase, which has been challenged by high-profile critics of the Government.

Ahmadinejad's office said, "Comments published saying the government has decided to sell gasoline at 2,000 Toman (about $1.63 at official rate) per litre are entirely false. The government has never sought such figures in any of its programs and it has and will continue to put all necessary information directly to the people."

Iranians currently pay 700 Toman once they use up a 50-litre monthly allowance at 400 Toman.

0840 GMT: Oil Watch. Another confirmation that, despite public postures from both Tehran and Delhi of expanding trade, sanctions are curbing Indian imports of Iranian oil --- from The Hindu:

Till now, Iran was India's second-biggest crude oil supplier after Saudi Arabia, meeting about 12 per cent of the country's needs, but the position has been taken over by Iraq.

Domestic refiners such as Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd and Essar Oil are expected to cut sourcing from Iran by at least 10 per cent. Bharat Petroleum Corporation has already stopped sourcing.

0740 GMT: All-Is-Well Alert. The head of the Central Bank, Masoud Bastani, has tried to assure that Iran can withstand any sanctions, with foreign exchange earnings of more than $100 billion.

0710 GMT: Parliament Watch. Could this be the most telling signal about Friday's Parliamentary elections? In contrast to the scramble by State and semi-official media to declare a magnificent turnout and to post the results, there is near-silence on those websites this morning.

0650 GMT: Mohammad Davari of AFP offers a breakdown of the seats in the new 290-member Parliament:

Unity Front: 65
Islamic Constancy Front: 25
Joint Unity/Constancy: 61
Other conservatives (possibly the Steadfastness Front): 15
Reformists: 21
Independents: 98
Minorities: 5

The numbers seem to bear out our assessment: "The Supreme Leader's camp has sought a 'mish-mash' of results, with no possibility of a faction or bloc that could exert independence. That has been delivered."

The chatter also supports this, even as each faction in the conservative/principlist kaleidoscope tried to declare a win. Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf's Tehran Emrouz sought the validation, "The elections show clear victory for the United Front."

The pro-Ahmadinejad daily Iran, in contrast, asserted that the Unity and Constancy Fronts  would carry "equal weight" in the parliament, with the large number of new lawmakers reflecting voter "discontent over the behaviour of the outgoing Parliament". 

And the reformist daily Etemad sticks with the obvious: no one had a majority but "all conservative groups are claiming victory".