[Guardian-UK] Simon Tisdall - A grand coalition of anti-government forces is planning a second Iranian revolution via the ballot box to deny President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad another term in office and break the grip of what they call the "militia state" on public life and personal freedom. Encouraged by recent successes in local elections, opposition factions, democracy activists, and pro-reform clerics say they will bring together progressive parties loyal to former president Mohammad Khatami with so-called pragmatic conservatives led by Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani. The alliance aims to exploit the president's deepening unpopularity, borne of high unemployment, rising inflation, and a looming crisis over petrol prices, to win control of the Majlis in general elections which are due within ten months. Opposition spokesmen say their broader objective is to bring down the fundamentalist regime by democratic means, transform Iran into a "normal country," and obviate the need for any military or other U.S. and Western intervention. According to Ali Alavi of Siyasat-e Ruz newspaper, some 150 political activists, governors-general, former administration officials, and dissident MPs drew up a coalition "victory strategy" at a conference last month presided over by Khatami. Opposition sources said that a future reformist-pragmatist government would continue to maintain Iran's claim to nuclear energy and other "national rights" but would seek to settle disputes through talks.
2007-05-01 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive