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Ahmadinejad: Iran's fundamentalist 'street sweeper' .
Mahmood Ahmadinejad, the fundamentalist Tehran mayor and self-styled "street-sweeper" nostalgic for revolutionary moral values, has been granted the chance to impose his vision on the entire country.
In the greatest upset in Iranian political history, Ahmadinejad has come from nowhere to thrash Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and win an election that gives hardliners control of every one of the country's institutions.
He will become the first non-cleric to hold Iran's presidency since 1981, a fact of little meaning to those who fear he will take away the greater social liberty of the past eight years and put Iran on a collision course with the West.
"Today is the beginning of a new era in the political life of the Iranian nation... that will carry us to the zenith of progress," he said as he cast his vote on Friday, mouthing a scarcely audible prayer.
Never able to resist a chance to play up his image as the humble municipal official in a cheap suit, the father of three added: "I take pride in being the Iranian nation's little servant and street sweeper."
A complete political unknown on a national stage who proudly extols his humble means, the question now is whether a president Ahmadinejad will confirm fears that he is a fearsome puritan and eager killjoy.
Reformers point to changes in Tehran since he became mayor in 2003 -- after an election with a record low turnout -- as examples of what might be about to happen on a nationwide scale.
He has clamped down on the cultural centres that flourished when the city was run by reformists in the 1990s. In another measure, street advertisements fronted by football star David Beckham were taken down in the city.
Meanwhile Islam has been promoted tirelessly -- in line with the wishes of hardliners close to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- with a new mosque popping up in symbolic proximity to a major theatre and Shiite religious festivals taking on a new scale.
"In our democratic system, liberty is already beyond what could be imagined," he told a victorious news conference after the first round vote, earlier this month, that began with a long reading of the Koran.
Women, whom Ahmadinejad describes as "responsible and precise", have also expressed fears of a crackdown on their rights.
Economists are also worried, fearing that Ahmadinejad will shut down the stock exchange and wind back cautious market reforms.
And it is not just Iranian reformers who are nervous. European governments also shrink from Ahmadinejad's promises of more assertive foreign policy and France's foreign minister has already said sensitive nuclear talks were "at stake" in the election.
A former member of the elite Revolutionary Guards, Ahmadinejad has already accused Iran's nuclear negotiators of turning up at the negotiating table "terrified" and is set to take a far more aggressive line.
Any easing of tensions with the United States would also be unlikely. "The US administration cut off ties unilaterally to lay waste to the Islamic republic, " he argues. "They want to restore them today for the same reason."
But while liberal prosperous Iranians and foreigners take fright at Ahmadinejad's brand of devout conservatism, his image as an honest man who drives a standard home brand car has strong appeal for the country's poor.
His team has attempted to shake off the "extremist" tag, with Ahmadinejad rejecting claims he would ban the Internet, saying that his children use it so much he cannot pay his phone bills.
He has won praise for his efforts at resurfacing Tehran's bumpy roads and trying to sort out the traffic problems. Residents in poorer areas of the capital have also credited him with actually paying attention to their needs.
"My biggest asset is huge -- it is my love for serving people, and nothing can compare to that, " he says, adding: "A revolutionary manager is not empowered by expensive office accessories and several secretaries."
His small stature belies a past as a special forces officer in the Revolutionary Guards -- reportedly engaged in covert cross-border operations against Iraq -- and a soldier eager to carry out the dirtiest of work.
However his entourage has denied allegations he has blood on his hands.
"Mr Ahmadinejad is an engineer. He could not have been a killer working in the intelligence services, " said his aide Mehdi Chamran.
Mahmood Ahmadinejad, the fundamentalist Tehran mayor and self-styled "street-sweeper" nostalgic for revolutionary moral values, has been granted the chance to impose his vision on the entire country.
In the greatest upset in Iranian political history, Ahmadinejad has come from nowhere to thrash Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and win an election that gives hardliners control of every one of the country's institutions.
He will become the first non-cleric to hold Iran's presidency since 1981, a fact of little meaning to those who fear he will take away the greater social liberty of the past eight years and put Iran on a collision course with the West.
"Today is the beginning of a new era in the political life of the Iranian nation... that will carry us to the zenith of progress," he said as he cast his vote on Friday, mouthing a scarcely audible prayer.
Never able to resist a chance to play up his image as the humble municipal official in a cheap suit, the father of three added: "I take pride in being the Iranian nation's little servant and street sweeper."
A complete political unknown on a national stage who proudly extols his humble means, the question now is whether a president Ahmadinejad will confirm fears that he is a fearsome puritan and eager killjoy.
Reformers point to changes in Tehran since he became mayor in 2003 -- after an election with a record low turnout -- as examples of what might be about to happen on a nationwide scale.
He has clamped down on the cultural centres that flourished when the city was run by reformists in the 1990s. In another measure, street advertisements fronted by football star David Beckham were taken down in the city.
Meanwhile Islam has been promoted tirelessly -- in line with the wishes of hardliners close to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- with a new mosque popping up in symbolic proximity to a major theatre and Shiite religious festivals taking on a new scale.
"In our democratic system, liberty is already beyond what could be imagined," he told a victorious news conference after the first round vote, earlier this month, that began with a long reading of the Koran.
Women, whom Ahmadinejad describes as "responsible and precise", have also expressed fears of a crackdown on their rights.
Economists are also worried, fearing that Ahmadinejad will shut down the stock exchange and wind back cautious market reforms.
And it is not just Iranian reformers who are nervous. European governments also shrink from Ahmadinejad's promises of more assertive foreign policy and France's foreign minister has already said sensitive nuclear talks were "at stake" in the election.
A former member of the elite Revolutionary Guards, Ahmadinejad has already accused Iran's nuclear negotiators of turning up at the negotiating table "terrified" and is set to take a far more aggressive line.
Any easing of tensions with the United States would also be unlikely. "The US administration cut off ties unilaterally to lay waste to the Islamic republic, " he argues. "They want to restore them today for the same reason."
But while liberal prosperous Iranians and foreigners take fright at Ahmadinejad's brand of devout conservatism, his image as an honest man who drives a standard home brand car has strong appeal for the country's poor.
His team has attempted to shake off the "extremist" tag, with Ahmadinejad rejecting claims he would ban the Internet, saying that his children use it so much he cannot pay his phone bills.
He has won praise for his efforts at resurfacing Tehran's bumpy roads and trying to sort out the traffic problems. Residents in poorer areas of the capital have also credited him with actually paying attention to their needs.
"My biggest asset is huge -- it is my love for serving people, and nothing can compare to that, " he says, adding: "A revolutionary manager is not empowered by expensive office accessories and several secretaries."
His small stature belies a past as a special forces officer in the Revolutionary Guards -- reportedly engaged in covert cross-border operations against Iraq -- and a soldier eager to carry out the dirtiest of work.
However his entourage has denied allegations he has blood on his hands.
"Mr Ahmadinejad is an engineer. He could not have been a killer working in the intelligence services, " said his aide Mehdi Chamran.
this is really gonna suck, you have Sharon in Israel, Bush in the USA, and now you have Ahmadinejad in Iran. What is this world coming too!!!
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