Suspending Reformist Organizations

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is legally targeting the Iranian opposition's organizational base:

"Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has aimed his strongest blow yet at his political opposition by suspending two prominent reformist factions.

If upheld by the judiciary, the April 19 suspension would mean that foes of Ahmadinejad within Iran's establishment would be able to seek power in elections only by running without an established political network. That would leave the authority in Iran firmly in the hands of hard-liners for the foreseeable future...

"The suspended reformist factions are both pillars of the establishment that in the past have propelled their members to top positions in the government, including the presidency.

"One is the Mujahedin of the Islamic Revolution, established in 1979. It evolved to become a reformist group and backed Mir Hossein Musavi, one of the key opposition candidates in last June's disputed presidential election.

"The other is the Islamic Iran Participation Front, which was formed in 1997 following the landslide election of reformist President Mohammad Khatami."