Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review

08 January 2011 | 17:58 Code : 9795 Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review

Tehran’s newspapers on Monday 6th of Dey 1389; December 7th, 2010.

Article 44 of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Constitution reads: “The economic system of the Islamic Republic of Iran shall be based on public, cooperative and private sectors, with proper and sound planning…The private sector includes such activities related to agriculture, cattle-raising, industry, trade and services that supplement the economic activities of public and cooperative sectors.” In post-Revolution Iran, the private sector has nonetheless been quite frail, mostly due to necessities of the 8-year war with Iraq and Marxist-imbued economic policies of the first decade, encoded into Islamic discourse by the Leftists of the time. In the next two decades, privatization came into sight, though in more than a few cases it proved futile due to non-transparent disinvestment and ineffective management. In the spring of 2005 Ayatollah Khamenei issued a statement calling for inclusion of the private sector in strategic industries. His directive, generally known as the Article 44 Directive, has remained to a large extent unrealized, as Majles’ report yesterday demonstrated.

Hamshahri

From Tehran to Metropolises, From [State of] Warning to Emergency; Air to Become More Polluted

In Response to Hamshahri’s [Yesterday] Report; Ministry of Commerce Efforts to Enhance Bread Quality

Iran

Our Country’s Representative in OPEC Board of Directors [***] Predicts in an Interview with Iran: 100-Dollar a barrel oil in beginning of the new Christian year

Air Pollution Problem to Be Solved in Five Years

Jomhouri-ye Eslami

Report by Majles’ Special Committee for Enforcement of Article 44 [of the Constitution, Aimed to Privatize State-Run Enterprises]: The government’s overbearing character persists

260 MPs Laud [Former FM, Manouchehr] Mottaki’s Efforts

Kayhan

A Few Months before [UN-Sponsored Anti-Racism] Durban III Meeting: Fearful of hearings in international organizations; Israel: We won’t attend the anti-racism conference

New Generation of Quick Reaction Tanks in the Army’s Ground Forces

Khabar

Khabar Online’s Users Guess Who’s the Next FM: Who will be foreign minister?

[Principlist Lawmaker, Reza Talae’i Nik:] Purposeful Subsidies should not become a tool in political rivalry

Majles’ Third Report on Deviation from Article 44: Only 13.5 percent of state-run economy privatized

Resalat

Tehran Prosecutor [Abbas Ja’fari Dowlatabadi]: Trial of Fetneh leaders not far away

Head of the Judiciary [Sadegh Larijani]: Fetneh-perpetrators wanted to sell the country to foreigners

Shargh

260 MPs Release Statement in Support of Mottaki

Farewell Ceremony and Inauguration of Bazrpash and Torkestani Canceled; The Empty Seat of Presidency in Youth [Affairs] Organization

Central Bank Announces: Prices in the first week after [enforcement of] Purposeful Subsidies

Tehran-e Emrooz

40 Percent Increase in Metro Passengers after [Enforcement of] Purposeful Subsidies

Majles Discontent with the Quality of Article 44 Implementation: 13 Percent, private sector’s share of government’s transference [of state-run enterprises]

[Tehran] Prosecutor Complains of Undermining of the Judiciary

Vatan-e Emrooz

Vatan-e Emrooz Reports on the Outcome of Mutual Trust between Citizens and Officials in Enforcement of the Law: Seven days of Purposeful Subsidies in Iran

First Deputy of the Judiciary [Ebrahim Younesi]: Fetneh leaders’ trial not a difficult task

* Note: Khabar and Vatan-e Emrooz do not publish on Thursdays.

Trouble with understanding some terms? Check our Glossary of Iranian Political Terms.

Briefing

Hamshahri (Citizen) is the official daily newspaper of Tehran’s Municipality. Its general directions in politics, culture and economy are determined by the mayor of Tehran, currently Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Iran is the official organ of the administration.

Jomhouri-ye Eslami (The Islamic Republic) was known as the official organ of the Party of the Islamic Republic, founded in 1979 and disbanded in 1987. Currently, it is an open critique of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s policies and is known to be a mouthpiece of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Kayhan (Universe) is a hard-line conservative newspaper. Its editor-in-chief –currently Hossein Shari’atmadari- is appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader. Shari’atmadari’s editorials often spark off controversy and debate inside Iranian political circles.

Khabar (News) is a principlist daily newspaper which adopts a critical stance towards Ahmadinejad’s policies.

Resalat (Mission) belongs to the moderate wing of the principlist camp. Resalat’s best known analyst is Amir Mohebbian, its political editor.

Shargh (East) is a moderate reformist newspaper. It was the most popular and influential reformist newspaper in its first period of publication which lasted from August 2003 until September 2006.

Tehran-e Emrooz (Tehran Today) is a ‘principlist reformist’ newspaper, connected to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Vatan-e Emrooz (Motherland Today) -which started its publication in November 2008-, belongs to Mehrdad Bazrpash, the thirty-old pro-Ahmadinejad politician who is also head of Iran’s second largest auto manufacturer company, Saipa. Vatan-e Emrooz is a supporter of the president’s policies.