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TEHRAN, Iran-Iran's new conservative-dominated parliament convened Tuesday amid calls for unity in a country suffering from high inflation and U.N. Security Council sanctions over its refusal to curb its controversial nuclear program.The conservative majority in the 290-seat parliament is divided between supporters of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his opponents, who say he has mishandled the nuclear standoff with the West and concentrated too much on fiery, anti-U.S. rhetoric while neglecting the economy. Ahmadinejad's allies won the largest share of the seats in March 14 parliamentary elections, but some of his supporters-turned-critics formed a powerful bloc opposed to the president's confrontational manner and his handling of the ailing economy.Reformists, who seek greater democracy in Iran and closer ties with the West, also strengthened the small minority bloc they held in the outgoing parliament.The results mean a potentially stormy confrontation between parliament and Ahmadinejad if his critics try to force him to change his economic policies or end what even conservatives see as his monopoly on decision-making.Lawmakers, who took their oath of office Tuesday in a ceremony attended by top dignitaries and Tehran-based foreign diplomats, vowed to make the economy a top priority.Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, urged unity and cooperation between the new parliament and Ahmadinejad's government."Parliament's supervisory responsibility must never be neglected, but parliament's supervision must not be considered as rivalry with the government or as ignoring needs and necessities," Khamenei said in his inaugural message read out in the chamber.On Sunday, conservative lawmakers declared their support for former top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani - one of Ahmadinejad's rivals - for the post of parliament speaker. It was not immediately clear when parliament would vote to choose a speaker.If Larijani is elected, the post is expected to boost his profile as a challenger to Ahmadinejad in next year's presidential elections. Larijani quit as Iran's top nuclear negotiator last year over differences with Ahmadinejad.In a speech to the new parliament Tuesday, Ahmadinejad called on lawmakers to avoid quarrels and support his government."We have to be careful not to fall into quarrels that domineering powers and some ignorant people at home are stirring up because enemies and ill-wishers are seeking to ... create disappointment in the nation," he said."I have no doubt that this parliament will strongly stand up to the greedy enemies and strongly defend the legitimate rights of the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad said.He acknowledged for the first time that inflation was one of many problems in Iran, but blamed it on economic structures rather than on any mishandling of his own."We all admit that the Iranian nation does not deserve the current economic situation. Our economy suffers from structural problems such as inflation, unfair subsidies, lack of discipline in the banking system and an inefficient budget and planning system," he said.Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005 on a populist agenda, promising to bring oil revenues to every family, eradicate poverty and tackle unemployment. But he is now facing increasingly fierce criticism for his failure to meet those promises.Iran has high inflation and unemployment, which government statistics place at 18 and 10 percent respectively but economists say both could be higher than 30 percent. The price of basic commodities such as rice, vegetables and housing has tripled since last summer.Iran also is under three sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions for its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment and meet other council demands meant to dispel suspicions that the Iranians are trying to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its enrichment program is meant only to generate electricity.By ALI AKBAR DAREINI
As in the days of Noah...
