The first comments of president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad went down well with Iran's press yesterday, with independent and pro-reform newspapers highlighting his pledge to lead a "government of peace and moderation" and hard-line journals emphasizing his promise to follow the principles of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
In his post-election press conference, Ahmadinejad said Sunday that he would continue Iran's nuclear development and warned Iran's European negotiators that building trust would require a mutual effort. He rebuked an EU commissioner who spoke of freezing dialogue with Iran, saying Europe "cannot talk to the Iranian nation in such an arrogant manner."
Ahmadinejad entered the packed hall in Tehran's municipal building for the news conference with little fanfare, maintaining the unassuming style embraced by the roughly 17 million Iranians who voted the city's mayor to power in a landslide victory.
He fielded questions confidently and smiled broadly when asked by an Iranian female journalist wearing a colorful head scarf whether he would introduce a strict dress code.
It wasn't his job to decide, he said.
"I am the president. There are people who make those decisions," Ahmadinejad said. He appeared to be referring to the judiciary and the police, which enforce the law on the dress code.
In his opening statement, he promised to shun extremism and cobble together a moderate regime. The commitment was seized on by the pro-reform newspapers in their yesterday editions.
Asked about relations with the US, Ahmadinejad said Iran "is taking the path of progress based on self-reliance. It doesn't need the United States significantly on this path."
US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said Sunday that Ahmadinejad was "no friend of democracy" and dismissed the vote as a "mock election."
"He is a person who is very much supportive of the current ayatollahs, who are telling the people of that country how to live their lives, and my guess is over time the young people and women will find him as well as his masters unacceptable," Rumsfeld told the US television show Fox News Sunday.
A key concern for the US is Iran's 20-year-old nuclear program, revealed in 2002.
The US alleges the program is aimed at building atomic weapons. Iran insists it is only interested in generating electricity. Uranium enriched to low levels has energy uses, while highly enriched uranium can be used in bombs.
Iran suspended all uranium enrichment-related activities in November to avoid possible sanctions from the UN Security Council, but it said all along the suspension was temporary. France, Britain and Germany have offered economic incentives in hopes of persuading Iran to permanently halt enrichment.
Ahmadinejad said the EU "should come down from its ivory tower and understand that they cannot talk to the Iranian nation in this way. We are ready for trust-building measures in all fields, but ... our nation is a great nation and they cannot talk to the Iranian nation in such an arrogant manner."
Western leaders are worried that relations with Iran may become increasingly strained under Ahmadinejad.
As Tehran mayor, he served as managing director of a newspaper affiliated with the municipality. He replaced pro-reformist journalists with conservative writers.
He also replaced most district mayors considered pro-reform.
"We didn't have a revolution to have a democracy," he is widely quoted as saying, referring to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
A former Revolutionary Guard commander, Ahmadinejad resurrected platitudes popular in the movement's early days.
"Iran can accomplish anything. Iranians have everything they need themselves to accomplish everything," he said Sunday.
His comments overlooked the fact that Iran's economy is staggering under the weight of high unemployment, double-digit inflation and interest rates of 25-30 percent on personal loans.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana ruled out yesterday an immediate change to the bloc's nuclear policy with Iran.
Solana said the 25-nation EU would stand by an agreement reached in a meeting with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani in Geneva at the end of May.
"At that time, we offered the possibility of presenting to the Iranian leaders around the end of July ... a comprehensive proposal for them to analyse. We don't have any reason to change at this point in time," Solana told reporters.
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS