What are Mir Hossein Mousavi's policies?

[tiny elvis]

Since we want his people to run that country, I hope someone more studious than myself will dump some information here. The question is simple, but where to begin searching?
What is the name of his party?
Who else represents that party?
What are their policies and platform?
I'm not asking for info about Mousavi's friends and business partners, just basic things. I don't even know whether Iran has privately funded parties or 'federally funded' elections.
Someone please spare us all the hours of research.

[Oregone]

1. All most people go on is: the enemy of my enemy is my friend

Worked wonders in the past

[billyoc]

2. He campaigned on a return to the theocratic teachings of the Ayatollah Khomeini

and privatization of public resources.

[Oregone]

3. Oh, sounds tasty

I like this guy! Viva la Green Revolution!

No wonder university students support him in droves.

[billyoc]

4. Yeah, sign me up. The guy is a Neoliberal ruin.

[Bucky]

5. Not that different from Ahmedinajad, but less crazy, less saber rattling, less nanny state

He's not a huge improvement, but he's someone you can cut a deal with, which would be good for Israel because we might get the support to Palestinian terrorists cut off.

[JackRiddler]

6. So "good for Israel" is a criterion?

[Bucky]

7. Not the only one, but you have to admit that if Israel is less threatened, the region calms down.

No, I guess you don't have to admit it, but it's true anyway.

[Warren DeMontague]

8. Would "bad for Israel" be somehow better?

...and how?

[tiny elvis]

9. not at all what I'm looking for nt

[TheBigotBasher]

25. It is good for the people of Israel.

Not necessarily good for the Government of Israel, which got elected through the tried and trusted politics of fear. Far too many US politicians seem to forgget that you can support the State of Israel - but you do not need to support whoever the current Government of Israel is. Netanyahu is an extremist thug. A Neo-Con in the Middle East. A less confrontational Iran does not help his agenda.

With all that said, although Mousavi has already discussed being open on everything from the nuclear plans of the Country (ie no weaponisation) to wanting to reduce hostilities, he does have a monstrous history though. He killed many of his own people.

These protests are no longer about him though. I think that the ruling elite of Iran overplayed their card and have lost control of power as a result.

[Zodiak]

10. I spoke with an Iranian student in our department today about this

He tells me that the major ideological divide between the two is the power of the Supreme Leader. The way it was under Khomeni, the Supreme Leader has to answer to the guardian council and the mullahs. This is the role that Mousavi champions. The student tells me also that Mousavi is not a liar like Ahmedinijad, who told falsehoods during the debate over unemployment numbers and insulted his people by denying it.

Ahmedinijad's philosophy involves expansion of the power of the Supreme Leader. So naturally he and Khameni are best buds.

He also tells me that the protests have nothing to do with either candidate.....and more to do with how their country suddenly decided to change the election rules at the last minute and produced a very questionable result.

For the record, the student doesn't like EITHER leader, but he is sympathetic to the protesters both because he went to Tehran University and he is educated and identifies with the protesters far more than the Baseej.

[tiny elvis]

11. thanks

[Zodiak]

13. np, but remember....

...this is one Iranian's opinion. I do respect him, though.

[tiny elvis]

12. is this Mousavi's party?

Kargozaran, Executives of Construction Party
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kargozaran

[tiny elvis]

14. Some info suggests

that parties endorse candidates rather than running one of their own.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=91245§ionid=351020101

[Bandit]

15. To do exactly what the Supreme Council wants

Remember only the Supreme Council has any Power to do anything in Iran. President is ONLY a figurehead.

[tiny elvis]

16. still searching

In the 2005 Presidential election, (Mehdi Karroubi — the former chairman of the Iranian Parliament, an ethnic Lur and an outspoken critic of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) finished third behind Ali Akbar Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad, saying after the election: “Had I stayed up all night that night, they would not have cheated me out of my votes.”

there is little surprise to find him among the four candidates competing for the Iranian President in 2009; but Karroubi is not the only reformist candidate. Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Iran’s former Prime Minister, also is running for the office on a reformist ticket. Mousavi’s presidential bid encouraged former President Khatami to withdraw his own candidacy in support of Mousavi. By doing so, Khatami denied reformist groups the one candidate about whom they could have agreed.

http://thr.contralaguerra.org/2009/06/03/irans-ralph-nader/index.html

Website Disabled

http://www.kargozaaran.com/

[tiny elvis]

33. why is google cache for kargozaaran.com also disabled?

An old version would do. I just wanted to know what Kargozaran's platform is.

[tiny elvis]

17. Kargozaran Newspaper Banned in Iran

Dec 31, 2008

Mohammad Parvizi said the paper was banned upon articles 6 and 12 of Press Law and the case has been sent to the court.

He added, "The paper was banned over publication of an article justifying anti-human crimes of the Zionist regime and calling Palestinian resistance as terrorism and claiming that Palestinian combatants take position in kindergardens and hospitals and so cause the deaths of children and civilians."

http://www.payvand.com/news/09/jan/1005.html

[MadHound]

18. He's still a conservative ideologue, but without the saber rattling and crazy talk

He's actually somebody that the US and the rest of the world can deal with. He also has enough pull(having originally been part of the revolution in the seventies) that he can't be a puppet of the Guardian Council.

[tiny elvis]

19. nobody knows, few care

meanwhile, "Teen girl sues after waking up with 56 stars tattoed on her face" has 4,000 views.

[tiny elvis]

20. Rafsanjani and Kargozaran

LA Times June 7 2009

Rafsanjani has created a multimillion-dollar electronic network under the aegis of the Expediency Council to set off alarm bells in case of suspicions of fraud, said one person close to his camp, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

He's also dispatching members of his Kargozaran political party to monitor polling stations and the election desk at the Interior Ministry. He convened a regular series of meetings to alert journalists and activists to the possibility of cheating after Ahmadinejad purged longtime employees from the section of the ministry that monitors fraud about two months ago.

"He has access to the intelligence systems of the government, and he can put pressure on the establishment," said Kaviani, who has attended the meetings. "The most important thing for him is to get rid of Ahmadinejad, no matter the cost, and he thinks that if there's no cheating Ahmadinejad won't win. All the efforts are to prevent Ahmadinejad to get 51%."

[Wizard777]

21. It doesn't really matter. The President is merely a figurehead.

[tiny elvis]

24. I said

Since we want his people to run that country

Coincident to research: An article from February written as though they never heard of Mousavi.

Ahmadinejad vs. Khatami
With former President Mohammad Khatami running for presidency on June 12, Iranians will have the choice between him and the incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Do we really need to argue why Ahmadinejad’s reelection would be a continuing catastrophe for both Iran and the world? During his four-year term, he has aggressively led Iran in a course of confrontation and isolation, both domestically and internationally. And he has mismanaged the Iranian economy to an extent that unemployment, inflation, and poverty are the top concerns of the people in this oil-rich country.
And Khatami? Now that he has announced his decision to run, almost all reports are boringly repeating the fact that he failed to deliver on most of his promises of reform during his two terms of presidency 1997-2005 — to the disappointment of many of his initial supporters.
...no real difference whether Ahmadinejad is elected this time or Khatami.

http://www.djavadi.net/2009/02/10/ahmadinejad-vs-khatami/

[woo me with science]

22. On women's rights issues:

http://www.hillarysvillage.net/main-street/16898-women-s-rights-iranian-election-vitalvoices-6-9-09-ahmadinejad-vs-mir-hossein-mousavi-promote-mousavi.html


A Quick Glance at Women’s Rights in the Iranian Election
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vs. Mir-Hossein Mousavi


Mir-Hossein Mousavi

* Mousavi pledged to disband the “Morality Police” that monitor women’s clothing in accordance with traditional Islamic dress.

* At a rally in Tehran, Mousavi told supporters, “We should reform laws that treat women unequally. We should empower women financially, women should be able to choose their professions according to their merits, and Iranian women should be able to reach the highest level of decision making bodies.”

* Mousavi vowed to support legal measures to end violence and discrimination against women.

* Mousavi has sounded support for the ratification of CEDAW.

* Mousavi promised to appoint female ministries and other high offices, if elected.

.............................................................................

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

* In a BBC News interview, Mahbube Abbasqolizade, a member of the Iranian Women’s Centre NGO, said, “Mr. Ahmadinejad’s policies are that women should return to their homes and that their priority should be the family.”

* Ahmadinejad changed the name of the government organization the “Centre for Women’s Participation” to the “Centre for Women and Family Affairs”.

* Ahmadinejad proposed a new law that would reintroduce a man’s right to divorce his wife without informing her. In addition, men would no longer be required to pay alimony. In response, women’s groups have initiated the Million Signatures campaign against these measures.

* Ahmadinejad’s administration opposes the ratification of the UN protocol called CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. This doctrine is essentially an international women’s Bill of Rights.

* Ahmadinejad implemented the Social Safety program, which monitors women’s clothing, requires the permission from a father or husband for a woman to attend school, and applies quotas limiting the number of women allowed to attend universities.



Whether or not Mousavi would be permitted to follow through on such promises, it would be a step forward to have a President in office expressing these views.

[JackRiddler]

23. This is reason enough to hope for a revolution.

[tiny elvis]

27. Information!

Thank you. The source for that info is 404, but at least the SOS endorses it.

I'm still searching for pre election sources of basic info.

[jeanpalmer]

26. Mousavi is a front man for Rasfanjani

and his biliions in wealth. The poor demonstrators are unaware of how they're being used. Mousavi and Rasfanjani and family are like the Wall Street bankers in our country. Rasfanjani owns 300 universities. He rousts the students to demonstrate for his financial empire. The poor student don't know any better.

[Wizard777]

28. I think Mousavi and Rafsanjani are allied. You must have clerical support to enter politics.

[tiny elvis]

29. That is in agreement with some of the info I linked to

Do you know more about it?

[tiny elvis]

30. beginning to find answers

Khatami finally broke his silence and through an official statement that his office forwarded via facsimile to news agencies he officially announced his possible candidacy in the election. In his speech to representatives of various social groups in the province of Ilam, Khatami said, "Mir Hossein Mousavi or I would run in the election."
Previously, the coalition council of the reformists had decided that representatives of the six reformist parties, E'temad Melli, Mojahedin-e Enghelab, Mosharekat, Kar, Majma' Rohaniyoon and Kargozaran would agree on one candidate while representatives of the E'temad Melli Party (headed by Karoubi) refused to continue attending the meetings while discussions were ongoing.

Google cache

This piece has some other good info.

[JI7]

31. it's about what Iranian people want, not what we want

the issue here is that the people voted for someone and the government and mullahs put out phony results. and the people are standing up to that and protesting.

[tiny elvis]

32. What are your sources for that info?

The LA Times reported that Rafsanjani's orgs and gov supporters would scrutinize the voting and reveal any fraud. I have not seen the result of that. Do you have it?

[tiny elvis]

34. a little more

Reformist party endorses Mousavi

15 Apr 2009
Mousavi served as the country's last prime minister from 1981 until 1989. Later, a constitutional amendment removed the post, dividing the related responsibilities between the president and the first vice president.

He is widely remembered for steering the country out of a severe economic meltdown experienced during the war with Iraq, which was imposed on Iran and cost the country over USD 500 billion.

The influential Association of Combatant Clerics (ACC) (Majma'-e Rowhaniyun-e Mobarez), the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), the Mujahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO) and the Kargozaran Party had previously thrown their weight behind Mousavi describing him as a candidate who can bring about "change".

This is while Seyed Reza Akrami, a senior member for the Principlist Jame'e-ye Rowhaniyat-e Mobarez (the Combatant Clergy Association), last month hinted that even some Principlist figures may endorse Mousavi.

[tiny elvis]

35. current events

A pro Reformist website

June 7, 2009
Mesbah Yazdi's religious order (Fatwa) to Interior Ministry to permit electoral fraud to be revealed

June 9, 2009
The head of the political office of the Revolutionary Guard Corps accusing Mousavi of starting a velvet revolution and declaring they will extinguish it at root: "Using a specific color for the first time in the elections is a sign of starting a velvet revoluion". Mousavi has been using the color green, which signifies that he's a descendant of Muhammad the prophet.
Election monitoring committee of Mousavi and Karroubi warns of electoral fraud

June 10, 2009
Ahmadinejad is given more than 15 minutes of airtime on state-run TV while the other candidates receive less than 2. In his closing remarks he points out things that no one knew why he is bringing up at that point or what exactly he means:
"I like to add this too, we have accurate information that they believe that they have lost ground, and that people have claimed the ground, and they have lost the game, and they are looking for imposing a conflict. I ask people to stay calm."

June 11, 2009
Text messaging is blocked in Tehran

June 12, 2009
08:00 Voting starts
08:13 Khamenei casts ballot and warns of possible disturbances
Rafsanjani's wife casts ballot and urges people to take to streets in case of fraud
Reports of ballot shortages preventing people from voting in many stations, although the Interior Ministry printed more than 57 million
20:06 Extension of voting hours till 21:00, and again to 22:00
20:57 Karroubi campaigns reports of 33 incidents of electoral fraud in various provinces
17:00 News of police maneuvers in Tehran
18:30 Plain-cloth agents attack one of Mousavi's campaign offices in northern Tehran
19:05 Head of Mousavi's election monitoring committee writes to Interior Ministry and warns of electoral fraud
21:10 Access to Mowj.ir (one of Mousavi's campaigning websites) is blocked in Iran
22:00 Polls close
High voter turnout reported
Saturday and Sunday university exams are postponed indefinitely
23:20 Mousavi claims victory in a press conference
According to CBS, Ahmadinejad also claimed victory

http://lotfan.org/

Who knew they were planning to fight before the election?

[tiny elvis]

36. Ahmadinejad - Mousavi Debate [English]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DNmR15Lui8
Transcript

[tiny elvis]

37. scanning the debate

so far I only see personal attacks and responses to personal attacks. If I find any descriptions of policy I'll put up a quote.
This is what I wanted to avoid. I've been searching on and off for ten hours and found only a part of what I want to know.

[tiny elvis]

38. No wonder Mousavi lost

Mousavi

I say that your foreign policy has inflicted damages on the country and on us and this of Iran has been caged as a result of your economic policies and also foreign policy.

Wherever I go, there are few people who raises just slogans and disturb the meeting and then provoke others and then raise the slogans against these policies and in domestic policies I’m going to shed light on what the government does which is against the eight point declaration of Imam Khomeini, you know, because you just divide the people into insiders and outsiders.

Ahmadinejad

After nationalization of oil, nobody drew a caricature of a cleric, but you saw thirty titles and newspapers, plots against the government and talks of treason against the government, against the president, and he silenced them all. And for your information, again, in universities, this never happened, that a university lecturer or a model researcher to talk about his research. He wrote an article against research policies, and the university officials insulted him, and they provoked a group to raise slogans against him. We shouldn’t forget these.

Mousavi

And then this dissolution of the High Councils and refraining from implementing the enactment of the Parliament and the Expediency Council, then the government insists that I am not going to implement them. On different excuses, I don’t think that we have any higher organization or institution than the Expediency Council which is supported by the leader of the Revolution, and it is so important that on the basis of expediency it can go beyond the Shari’a. We have discussed all this over there, and then 18 councils that were dissolved by the government, by the council to be restored, but the government hasn’t restored them yet.

So one of them is the Monetary Council, and you know, the 25% inflation, is because—one of the reasons for this inflation is the dissolution of the council. Another problem is that, the government wants the control of all the banks and all the organizations so that the representatives of the judiciary and the private sector are not there, so as a result we just face this inflation and the economic situation the industry is facing problem, inflation is 25% and everybody is just crying.
These are the sort of those policies, liquidity is 2.5%, two and a half times compared to the time that you just came to power. I’m not going to refer to the procedure, to the proceedings of the parliament and regarding the public tribunal, which is one of the most important tribunals. The dissolution of the budget and planning organization is one of those problems. I’m very sensitive about this organization because when I was in power, I thought that some people may be opposed to plan because some people were opposed to plans in the early days of the revolution because they said just trust in God and we don’t need plans. They wanted to go their own way. Because of this problem in the Council of Revision of the Constitution, I was in the executive committee and then they—specifically I proposed the establishment of the plan—management and plan organization and the implement organization and they have been incorporated in the constitution, but now you have dissolved them and just reduced it to a directorate, which is not accountable.
Also, you have announced the banning of the value added taxes, which is not within your prerogative and also the government services.

don’t you know what Mr. Hashemi or Mr. Khatami have done in this country, they have been president but you as a citizen at least should give right to them when they cannot defend themselves; when people are watching you are mentioning the names of his family members, his sons and so on; this is the reason of the means someone is condemned that is the other are just ,this isan Islamic principle. From the beginning of your term you said that there are thousands of corrupt people and I am going to mention their name and you removed the head of the party and appointed him as your advisor; these are sins, we are Muslims we are faithful, we believe in God so we cannot just out of the blue mention the names of people and accuse them. Regarding the delegation of transferring of the hectors of land to others , if they have done so it is wrong and it has got nothing to do with me, why say those people support me?

Okay, I think it’s worth mentioning the policies and the framework once again although unfortunately we are running out of time but Mr. Ahmadinejad forces me to say something that I didn’t like to say. So it is an excitation management that says a slogan, imagination, and superstition. You are saying that the US is collapsing, Israel is collapsing, France is collapsing, and so on.

On the basis of this slogan, we formulate our foreign policy which leads us to nowhere and then selfishness and evasion of the law. If a person is not self-centered, then he would welcome law and through law and legal measures solves the problems. Even if he doesn’t like the law, then we would have some problems regarding just day to day affairs and so on. These have created problems for our country and I believe that the damages inflicted on us during these 4 years very heavy and all these justify my presence in the elections. In fact, my message to the people is I just belong to the people, I go to the people, they will judge and they can judge about this period and this term and they realize whether the procedures and policies are okay or not and they can make decision. It is dangerous for our country, this is why I am entering into the race and then destiny will be decided by God and the decision of the people.

I think even our Pres debates are less superficial and vague.
What can you pull out of these quotes?
The issues for Mousavi are that unemployment is high, inflation is high, foreign policy is unrealistic, the president ignores the law at will and resources are nationalized. He also wants to bring back the value-added tax.
He talks most about the president ignoring the law, specifically with regard to nationalization and 'doesn't play well with others' foreign policy.
My suspicion that Mousavi is just a capitalist seeking better relations with other capitalists remains.