TEHRAN, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad on Wednesday defended his government's foreign and domestic policies
in a TV debate with presidential hopeful -- former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein
Mousavi.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attends a TV debate between him and Iran's
presidential hopeful -- former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi in Tehran, Iran, June 3,
2009. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
"During this four years, great dignity has been
established in both outside and inside Iran," Ahamdinejad said at the beginning
of the debate broadcasted live by the state-run television.
"The Iranian nation has made itself an adorable image
in the international community," he said.
Ahmadinejad has been criticized by reformists and
some conservatives for the country's soaring inflation and social problems such
as high unemployment rate and housing shortage.
He has also been confronted with sharp criticism
towards his hardline approaches which resulted in Iran's gloomy image.
"The social problems are not formed in just four
years," he said, adding that unemployment and economic problems are not new
issues in his government.
Presidential hopeful -- former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi attends a
TV debate between him and Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran, Iran, June
3, 2009. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Mousavi, who is considered as the incumbent
president's main challenger in the upcoming June 12 election, accused the
Ahmadinejad government of undermining the dignity of the Iranian nation.
"It has created heavy damages on us," Mousavi said,
"the tensions between Iran and other countries are increasing ... is itin our
interests?"
"The mismanagement of the country forced me to come
to the stage," he said, adding that Iran must change its foreign policies from
the way of adventurism, instability, exhibitionism and extremism to the way of
moderation.
Mousavi served as prime minister of Iran from 1981 to
1989. He has called for freedom and fairness in the upcoming presidential
election in his election campaign and has expressed dissatisfaction with Iran's
media in campaign activities.
Reformist former Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi
and conservative former Revolutionary Guards Chief Mohsen Rezaei on Tuesday
began the country's unprecedented face-to-face TV debate series among
presidential candidates.
TEHRAN, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran's reformist presidential
hopeful Mir-Hossein Mousavi said in a campaign program that "Iran's relations
with the United States is not a taboo," the semi-official Fars news agency
reported on Wednesday.
Referring to the change of rhetoric in the U.S.
administration, Mousavi said that "If this different literature is put into
practice, then the relations with the United States will not be a
taboo." Full story
TEHRAN, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said that his rivals' accusations against him are all lies to take
control of the country, local Press TV reported on Wednesday.
"They (the rivals) want a small group to take up the
country's leading posts and create a monopoly over them... That is what all
these lies, insults and accusations about," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.
"A closed circle that has tried to turn the clock
back during the past four years, are now doing all they can to realize their
goal ahead of the elections," Ahmadinejad told a group of his supporters here on
Tuesday, according to Press TV. Full story
TEHRAN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran's two presidential
hopefuls on Tuesday began the country's unprecedented face-to-face TV debate
series among presidential candidates.
Reformist former Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi and
conservative former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezaei outlined their top
priority if elected to the presidency and focused on economic
issues. Full story
TEHRAN, May 27 (Xinhua) -- As Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad has made mistakes in its foreign and economic policies, the
reformists will launch a strong challenge to the incumbent hard-liner in the
upcoming presidential election, former Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi
said.
"The policies of Mr. Ahmadinejad have hampered and
impeded Iran, both in foreign affairs and economy," Abtahi, who was vice
president from 2001 to 2004 in former reformist President Mohammad Khatami's
administration, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Full story
TEHRAN, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Iran's presidential hopeful
Mir-Hossein Mousavi takes the lead in 10 major Iranian cities, the local Press
TV reported Wednesday, citing a recent poll.
The poll conducted in Iran's 10 big cities showed
that Mousavi is surpassing the incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by 4
percent, the report said. Full story
