By Mohammad Reza Yazdanpanah, Rooz Online
Revolutionary Guards Must Return
Telecommunications Corporation
Several months after Iran's state telecommunications corporation was taken over
by companies affiliated with the Islamic Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)
in a sham deal, one (pro- administration) principalist Majlis lawmaker hinted
that the corporation may be returned to the government. Eliyas Naderan, a
lawmaker representing Tehran, who is a former member of the IRGC, told Alef news
website that several eighth Majlis lawmakers are working on a plan for the
return of the corporation to the government.
He also announced that Majlis' Strategic Research Center headed by Ali Tavakkoli,
another lawmaker form Tehran, is examining the legal aspects of the exchange and
will release its opinion on the matter soon.
Voiding the controversial deal that turned over Iran's telecommunications firm
to the IRGC would mean that the largest transaction ever in Iran's stock market
would be nullified.Iran's telecommunications firm was considered to be among a handful of
state-owned companies that were profitable. Last fall, it was turned over to a
consortium composed of investment firms operating under the IRGC's cooperative
foundation.
Majid Solemanipour, who serves as the CEO and director at one of those
investment firms, passed away under suspicious conditions along with his wife
shortly after the takeover. Their deaths were officially blamed on gas
asphyxiation.
On the surface, the takeover was touted as a step toward implementing Article 44
of the Islamic Republic's constitution, which contains provisions for
privatization of public property. However, the only private firm competing with
the IRGC for the takeover was disqualified for security reasons. Economic
experts, private sector activists and even Majlis lawmakers were outraged by
that decision.
The IRGC's interference in the Iranian economy began shortly after the end of
the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, when former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
was in office. Responding to a comment by the supreme leader's representative in
the IRGC, who said that the IRGC's entry in the economy was made possible by
Hashemi Rafsanjani, the former president said, "First, at that time the entire
stock of the country's industrial and logistical resources were in IRGC's
control. It was not possible to utilize these resources after the war in any
other way, and I made a tactical decision to free a huge portion of our national
resources under the IRGC's control. Second, assuming that was the case, what
justifies the IRGC's heavy presence in the economy today?"
2007 file photo
IRGC Commanders Jafari (left) and Safavi (center) with Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei
IRGC leaders are appointed by Khamenei
In his latest note in response to the passage of the United Nations Security
Council's latest round of sanctions against Iran, former prime minister and
green movement leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi wrote, "An IRGC that is more concerned
with the volatility of the dollar on the open market and interference in the
affairs of banking, the stock market and export and import contracts cannot be
trusted with the security of our nation and our revolution. "
Former Majlis speaker Mehdi Karoubi has also accused the IRGC of operating 60
unlicensed ports in southern Iran to facilitate the import and expert of goods
without government regulation.
Related Article:
1388- Year of
Militarization of Iran's Economy: March 20, 2010 was the last day of the
Iranian calendar year 1388. That year began well, with a surplus of some items
such as potatoes which was distributed free by the government. But the
distribution was limited to the election season and as the year grew to its end,
the distribution ended too. Interestingly enough, at the end of the year the
administration pushed a bill through the Majlis to provide the public with
water, electricity, power, gasoline
and natural gas at market prices without the traditional subsides. Meanwhile,
the Iranian economy suffered from severe stagnation and unemployment in 1388 as
the country's important and money-making firms were handed over to the Islamic
Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
... Payvand News - 07/22/10 ... --
