A WEEK remains before Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is sworn in for a second term, but the scene in Iran is far from celebratory, with oppositionists claiming the election was marred by fraud and even some government members unhappy. On Sunday, Culture Minister Mohamed-Hussein Saffar-Harandi quit, citing "the recent events which show the government's weakness". On the same day, Ahmadinejad sacked Intelligence Minister Gholam Hussein Mohseni Ejeie. Ahmed Tavakkoli, a prominent conservative politician, criticised Ahmadinejad on Sunday for the intelligence minister's dismissal, saying that "there is no logical justification" for it. Although Ahmadinejad has frequently replaced his cabinet members over the past four years, Sunday's firing and resignation were significant because both ministers are especially close to Iran's Supreme Guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to political analyst Amir Mohebbian. Ahmadinejad was also forced to drop his nominee for vice-president. His problems could indicate that some of his supporters are seeking greater control in Ahmadinejad's second term. He was frequently criticised in his first term for what was seen as his tendency to reserve power for a small clique of associates. The continuing turmoil is making things more complicated. Dozens of Iranians have been killed and hundreds arrested in clashes between protesters and security forces since the disputed elections. Authorities have fallen back on the same tactics they used to quell protests in 1999 and 2003 -- beating and imprisoning activists. But this time, those methods have not stopped the protests, and have even divided the ranks of political conservatives. Mir-Hussein Mousavi, the former prime minister, called for a demonstration in Tehran's Grand Mosala, a large public prayer location, Thursday to commemorate the "martyrs" killed by pro-government security forces and militiamen in June. It was the first time Mousavi has explicitly called on his supporters to take to the streets since a series of mass protest marches last month. The government has been reluctant to give such permission, well aware that mass mourning in Shia Islam is a powerful tool of political mobilisation. Today marks the 40th day -- an important milestone in the Shia mourning -- since 20 protesters were killed, including Neda Agha- Soltan, the young woman whose shooting was captured on video and seen around the world. The current protests were sparked by the death of 25- year-old Mohsen Ruholamini, who was arrested at a 9 July protest in Tehran and died in custody two weeks later. The Iranian Student News Agency, a national newswire run by university students and partially funded by the state, on Monday quoted a senior prison official as saying that Ruholamini was ill with meningitis before being sent to Evin prison. However, this death and the detention of hundreds of students, lawyers, and journalists appear to be creating some cracks in the coalition that backed Ahmadinejad in the election. A parliamentary hearing was opened this week about the conditions in prisons and the fate of political prisoners.
