Iranian opposition calls government excuses for economic maladies

Mehdi Karroubi

Iranain opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi says Iranian authorities are using the term "economic sedition" to oppress legitimate protests and excuse their own mismanagement of the economy.

He added that for thirty years, we have presented “world arrogance” (the US) as the root of our economical difficulties, and now they have added “sedition and leaders of the sedition” to the perpetrators of all state failures.

Tahavol-e Sabz website reports that Mehdi Karroubi spoke of the situation of the Green Movement and Iran’s volatile economy in a meeting with a group of journalists and reporters.

He stressed that there is no “doubt in the continuity of the Green Movement”, adding that the presidential elections of 2009 was not the sole reason for the post election protests but it was a kind of last straw in a series of events.

He told the reporters: “The ones who joined the street protests and those who stayed home, are all dissatisfied.”

He added that people are currently trying to survive the state violence; however, their thinking has not changed.

In terms of the economy, Karroubi said that the government is squandering the treasury and using “economic sedition” as a scapegoat to blame everything on.

In recent weeks, Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned against US efforts to initiate an “economic sedition” in the country.

The opposition however claims that the recent strikes and economic unrest are the direct result of the government’s mismanagement.