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CNN Live At Daybreak
A Tale of Two Irans: Reformers Versus Religious Hard-Liners
Aired May 30, 2003 - 06:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the war in Iraq over, the United States has been focusing more attention on Iran.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour starts our day-long coverage of Iran with a look at the tug-of-war taking place in that country between reformers and hard-liners.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is often said of Iran that there are two competing governments running the country. There is the popularly-elected president, Mohammed Khatami, who was swept to power on a wave of hope in 1997 and then re-elected with an even bigger majority in 2001. There is an elected parliament, which is dominated by Khatami-style reformers.
The population of Iran is young, more than half are under the age of 21, and many are fed up with the politics of religious extremism and international isolation. They desperately want their economy improved, because close to one million university graduates enter the job market every year, and many cannot find jobs.
These are the people who have been electrified by Khatami's message of democratic and social reform, and they had put their trust and faith in his ability to deliver. But he has not been able to deliver, and that, in large part, because of the other government running Iran.
This is the unelected one. The most powerful person in the country is Ayatollah Khomeini. Iran's constitution gives him authority over all affairs of state. He is called the supreme leader, and was appointed upon the death of Ayatollah Khameinei, who led Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
The supreme leader directs the army, intelligence services, foreign policy and the judiciary. Indeed, although there is more democracy in Iran than in much of the Arab and Muslim world, watchdog bodies under the authority of the supreme leader also vet candidates for elections.
Since President Khatami's election six years ago, there has been an ongoing political battle between his reformer and the religious leaders over the country's future direction. Recently, the parliament asked the supreme leader to stop the organizations under his control from blocking their reform. In rare move, members of parliament have told the supreme leader that the choice between democracy and dictatorship for Iran lies in his hands.
Votes in Iran are losing patience and hope with the slow pace of change at home. And analysts are divided over where this power struggle will lead. Many are also saying that mounting pressure from the United States, which calls Iran part of the axis of evil, has inflamed the power struggle, putting the Democrats and the reformers on the defensive and putting national security in the hands of the clerical establishment.
Christiane Amanpour, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Liners>
Aired May 30, 2003 - 06:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the war in Iraq over, the United States has been focusing more attention on Iran.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour starts our day-long coverage of Iran with a look at the tug-of-war taking place in that country between reformers and hard-liners.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is often said of Iran that there are two competing governments running the country. There is the popularly-elected president, Mohammed Khatami, who was swept to power on a wave of hope in 1997 and then re-elected with an even bigger majority in 2001. There is an elected parliament, which is dominated by Khatami-style reformers.
The population of Iran is young, more than half are under the age of 21, and many are fed up with the politics of religious extremism and international isolation. They desperately want their economy improved, because close to one million university graduates enter the job market every year, and many cannot find jobs.
These are the people who have been electrified by Khatami's message of democratic and social reform, and they had put their trust and faith in his ability to deliver. But he has not been able to deliver, and that, in large part, because of the other government running Iran.
This is the unelected one. The most powerful person in the country is Ayatollah Khomeini. Iran's constitution gives him authority over all affairs of state. He is called the supreme leader, and was appointed upon the death of Ayatollah Khameinei, who led Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
The supreme leader directs the army, intelligence services, foreign policy and the judiciary. Indeed, although there is more democracy in Iran than in much of the Arab and Muslim world, watchdog bodies under the authority of the supreme leader also vet candidates for elections.
Since President Khatami's election six years ago, there has been an ongoing political battle between his reformer and the religious leaders over the country's future direction. Recently, the parliament asked the supreme leader to stop the organizations under his control from blocking their reform. In rare move, members of parliament have told the supreme leader that the choice between democracy and dictatorship for Iran lies in his hands.
Votes in Iran are losing patience and hope with the slow pace of change at home. And analysts are divided over where this power struggle will lead. Many are also saying that mounting pressure from the United States, which calls Iran part of the axis of evil, has inflamed the power struggle, putting the Democrats and the reformers on the defensive and putting national security in the hands of the clerical establishment.
Christiane Amanpour, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Liners>
