A second term, but weakened

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins his second term in office in a weakened postition, the left-liberal daily Libération writes: "The Iranian regime is carrying on with its abominable power farce. The president, whose re-election was the result of a massive fraud, has been installed in office despite the demonstrations of millions of Iranians who reject this masquerade and insist on their right to democracy. From that moment on the government was aware of its own illegitimacy and reacted to the movement, which refrained from any type of violence, like any other dictatorships would have done. … But this masquerade is complex and everything points to cracks within the regime. The Islamic republic has lost its [ruling] class. The religious basis was destroyed by the supreme spiritual leader when he confirmed the fraud and recognised the election of his protégé. … Nonetheless, we should be careful about predicting the end of the regime of the mullahs and the guardians of the revolution. It still has its military and police apparatus, but never has Ahmadinejad's power been so weak."

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