[Newsweek International] Maziar Bahari - Iranian President Ahmadinejad took office a year ago promising to improve the lives of ordinary citizens by distributing the country's oil wealth more fairly. So far, he has failed to deliver. Tehran is awash in money - an extra $25 billion last year alone. But ordinary Iranians are seeing little of it. Per capita incomes have failed to keep pace with rising living costs; rents are skyrocketing. In interviews, Iranians of all political hues and classes have described Ahmadinejad's economic plans as well intentioned but unsophisticated and unlikely to yield their promised benefits. Many fear they may end in outright disaster.
2006-09-05 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive