The column ‘Persian Press Review’ features the headlines and leading articles carried by Farsi dailies.

Wednesday’s headlines:
AFARINESH: We are not bound to abide by the (UN Security Council’s) resolutions, says Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast
IRAN: Supreme Leader declares general outlines of government’s administrative system
ABRAR: The place to swap nuclear fuel is the Iranian territory, says Mehmanparast
ASRAR: Larijani writes a letter to Ahmadinejad on subsidy reform plan; last steps to reach consensus
ETTELAAT: Iran’s nuclear issue has become a pretext for political games, says Ahmadinejad
TAFAHOM: There will be no power cut this summer, pledges energy minister
TEHRAN-E EMROOZ: Tupolev airliners to be phased out (for failing to meet security standards), announces transport minister
JOMHURI-E ESLAMI: The system and revolution should be reliant on the nation, says Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani
SHARQ: General Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr (former deputy chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps) appointed as deputy Judiciary chief
JAHAN-E SANAAT: If I disclose everything (about Iran’s aviation safety), it may cause panic among people, says transport minister in Majlis
HEMAYAT: MPs were not convinced by transport minister’s explanations about plane crashes in 1388 (March 2009 - March 2010)
KAR-O KARGAR: Economic depression has severely affected workers’ lives, says MP Mahjub (of House of Laborer)
Leading articles:
DONYA-E EQTESAD in its editorial has reviewed the economic policies of the administration. Five years have passed since the time the current administration took office and now it is possible to analyze its economic performance. The first step that the Ahmadinejad administration took was freezing the prices, especially fuel prices, on the grounds that the move would resolve the chronic issue of high inflation rate. That time many economists warned that it is not an expert solution to the problem and the high inflation is rooted in the ill-advised fiscal policies. The administration insistently implemented its policies and the inflation rate not only did not decrease but rose to 25%. Today, the administration is pursuing a policy to liberalize energy prices which is essentially a positive move based on the economic principles, but the implementation of the plan has become a controversial issue. Elsewhere the writer says, unfortunately, the administration’s housing and job-creation plans have failed to yield any positive results. The administration’s expansionary fiscal policies and the injection of unprecedented oil revenues into the economy inflated house prices and gave rise to the rampant inflation.
ARMAN in its editorial has commented on the vulnerability of the country’s cities to massive earthquakes. Earthquakes and their devastating effects are an important problem that should not be either forgotten or magnified. The problem is not just Tehran; most other cities are also quake-prone and precautionary measures should be taken to minimize the repercussions. The administration has warned people about the occurrence of a massive quake in Tehran and has called on Tehranis to move to other cities so that the ensuing problems can become more manageable. The earthquake is not a new phenomenon in Iran and the country has experienced a huge quake every 10 years. The current administration has earned enormous amount of money from oil exports and the question is what the administration did to make buildings and infrastructures quake resistant? What was the administration’s plan to renovate the old quarters of the cities and rebuild the dilapidated houses?
KAYHAN editorial has touched on Iraq’s parliamentary election. The United Stated and the Saudi Arabia seek to implement a plan to thwart the formation of coalitions in Iraq. The foreign interventionist forces try to inflame divisions and persuade Iraqi people that the current situation should be changed and the current political structure is inefficient.
PUL in its editorial has deplored the decision made by officials of Gilan province to cut an aged tree, terming the action an environmental disaster. The officials of Gilan province have ordered that one old tree be cut down to prevent a propagation of superstition (as the local people believed the tree was sacred). It is not the first time that an old tree has been cut on the same pretext. The environmentalists have strongly disapproved of the action and have called for a halt to cutting of the aged trees because these trees are invaluable sources of genetic variations and should be preserved. The writer says the wrong conduct of certain persons should not cost the lives of aged trees.