Tehran: Iran’s reformists have intensified pressure on President Hassan Rouhani to step down amid mounting calls for him to resign, describing as worthless his role as president with no authority to draw up policies and make decisions.
However, Iran’s hardline fundamentalist camp has strongly criticised such calls, accusing reformists of fleeing responsibility and warning of “Iran’s Lebanonisation”.
Recently, reformist politician Abbas Abdi called on Rouhani to resign through reformist newspaper Etemad.
He said since the ruling conservatives lack the will and power to impeach him, Rouhani should volunteer to resign.
“Retreat does not mean protest but paving he way for ending crises,” Abdi noted.
He expressed regret that “every call for resignation in Iran is interpreted as a call for total break-up and is confronted with hostility, hate, grudge and calumny”.
“In light of scenarios expected following the US elections, it’s not possible for Rouhani to continue as president since he can’t take decisions in the presence of others who are in control of all matters. All this is for the sake of people and the country.”
Abdi’s call was backed by reformists like Abdullah Ramadan Zadah, who described the proposal as “a good move to get rid of confusion and clarify responsibilities”.
Hardliners in Iran rejected the proposal.
Conservative Iranian newspaper Kayhan said “reformists have proposed that Rouhani step down in one of their latest deceptive strategies to escape accountability”.
Reformists who fully supported Rouhani during presidential elections have undermined the government due to their poor performance and are today proposing his resignation, it pointed out. The proposal serves the US project, based on “absence of identity”, which the US, British and Israeli intelligence agencies are seeking in Iraq and Lebanon, said the newspaper, citing resignations of Iraqi and Lebanese prime ministers and the crises the two countries faced thereafter.
It also described calls for Rouhani’s resignation as an attempt to “Lebanonise Iran”, reports our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej.