Despite Protests, Ahmadinejad Consolidates Grip on Power: Via The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com .

Last week, even before he was officially endorsed as the winner of Iran’s disputed June 12 presidential election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad quietly assigned himself new powers by taking direct control of the country’s intelligence ministry.

According to a report published on the English-language Web site of Iran’s Parliament on Saturday, after Mr. Ahmadinejad fired the previous minister, Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ejei, he appointed himself “caretaker minister.”

Even if he does not intend to hold on to the position, Mr. Ahmadinejad is in direct control of the intelligence ministry at a sensitive moment, as the regime attempts to convict leading members of the opposition that it has charged with conspiring to overthrow the government on behalf of foreign powers.

The report notes that a conservative legislator called the move illegal:

The president’s decision to act as the caretaker until a new cabinet is formed threw the country’s polity into confusion.

Ahmad Tavakkoli, a senior Principlist representative from Tehran in the Majlis (Iran’s parliament), accused the president of breaking the law. “By law, the caretaker of the Intelligence Ministry should have all the necessary requirements and qualifications of a ‘Mujtahid’.”

Islamic law defines Mujtahid as a male Islamic scholar who is competent enough to interpret divine law (Sharia) in practical situations using Ijtihad (independent thought). Tavakkoli criticized President Ahmadinejad for violating the constitution, saying he should have postponed the appointment of the intelligence minister until after the new cabinet is formed.

If his opponents in Iran’s Parliament want to voice their displeasure at the move, they won’t have to wait long. Mr. Ahmadinejad is scheduled to appear in Parliament in a matter of hours to be sworn in for a second term as Iran’s president on Wednesday morning in Tehran.

Outside the Parliament building, according to a message posted on the Twitter feed Mousavi1388, which appears to be run by supporters of the opposition leader Mir Hussein Moussavi, a “peaceful protest” is planned. The message, posted on Tuesday, called for opposition supporters, who claim that the presidential election was rigged, to gather at 9 a.m. local time to protest as Mr. Ahmadinejad takes the oath of office inside the building.

Read Original Article:(Via The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com .)