• Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic: an elected position with the highest authority in Iran, currently held by Ayatollah Khamenei
• Guardian Council: 12-member group who, unlike the U.S., can veto bills even passed by the President
• President: currently held by Ahmadinejad, this role is more representative than policy-making

The hierarchy continues (find the full list here), but now you understand the why there are groups (Guardian Council) and people (Ayatollah) weighing in on the ultimate decision for the next president of Iran.  I urge you to “read on” for this topic – it’s an interesting one and, despite the many differences in countries, it’s amazing how an election brings out similarities.

As of this post being published, Mousavi (the loser in the election) has asked the Guardian Council to declare the election null and void because of fraud and irregularities.  The Ayatollah has also asked the Guardian Council to examine the election and to issue a report within seven to 10 days.  Unless they validate the election, the real winner cannot be declared.  As is the case in most elections, a reversal is highly unlikely because that will raise more democratic problems than it solves.

Bonus tidbit: many of us butcher the pronunciation of Iran, so here’s a quick guide:

• Iran correct pronunciation = EE rahn
• Iranian correct pronunciation = ee RHAN ee uhn

Read on:

Yahoo! News – The hierarchy of power in Iran

LATimes.com – IRAN: McCain stumbles over Persian leadership puzzle (old but interesting article)

WashingtonPost.com – A Massive Crowd Defies Ban in Iran

WSJ.com – Iran to Recount Some Votes

Ahmadinejad

After a week of tech speak and reality show posts, it’s time for a little world news.  You don’t want people thinking the only things you’re keen on are iPhones and family with gaggles of children.  When you are out this weekend, mention the importance of Iran’s presidential election.  There are four total candidates, but the focus is on incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (the guy you see on TV a lot with a casual suit and no tie) and reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi (sometimes spelled Mousavi).  Some basic facts:

• Ahmadinejad is often blamed for Iran’s current economic problems.
• No candidate is expected to make any significant changes in Iran’s nuclear policy.
• Moussavi “wants to reform Iran into a global communicator that embraces freedom of speech.” ¹
• A simple majority must be reached by a candidate (50%+) or a runoff election occurs next Friday.

Moussavi

The links below offer MUCH more information, but from the news articles, Ahmadinejad (current president) seems to be portrayed as the bad guy (“earned a reputation internationally as a fundamentalist for his Holocaust denials, calls to annihilate Israel, and cat-and-mouse games with the United States and the United Nations over Iran’s nuclear activities”) ² while Moussavi seems to be the “reformer,” largely in part to his 20-year hiatus from politics, giving many voters a clean slate for his name. 

Commit the two names to memory, follow the action, and be armed with some world news this weekend!  Stay with Dinner Topics for an update to this post later this weekend, including why the president’s role in Iran is limited.

Read on:

CNN.com - Voter turnout could help unseat Iran’s Ahmadinejad

CNN.com – updated stories about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

CNN.com – Moussavi: Painter, architect and possibly Iran’s next president