Defiant and mocking, Ahmedinejad fields questions from his opponents

By TURNS defiant and mocking, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appeared before the country’s parliament yesterday to answer a long list of accusations, including that he mismanaged the nation’s economy and defied the authority of the country’s supreme leader.

Less than two weeks after his supporters received a drubbing in parliamentary elections, Mr Ahmadinejad became the first president in the Islamic Republic’s history to be called before the legislature which has the power to impeach him if unsatisfied with his answers.

Factions loyal to Iran’s most powerful figure, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been trying to summon the president for months over what they say are repeated challenges to the supreme leader’s authority.

Conservative MP Ali Motahari read out a series of ten questions to Mr Ahmadinejad in an open session of parliament broadcast live on state radio.

Some focused on Mr Ahmadinejad’s refusal for 11 days to implement an order from Aya-tollah Khamenei to reinstate intelligence minister Heidar Moslehi, who was sacked by the president last year.

Mr Ahmadinejad flatly denied he challenged the supreme leader, answering as though there had never been any showdown.

“It was not a very difficult quiz,” the president said of the questions. “If you had consulted us, better questions could have been drawn up.”

MP Mohammad Reza Khabbaz shot back angrily: “Here is not a place to share jokes.”