'Ahmadinejad not a good President'

Nicosia, Apr 26: While criticism of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's economic policies is mounting, outgoing Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari, who was ousted in a government reshuffle last Tuesday, said that the government lacked experience and had no solid plans.

Danesh-Jafari said that President Ahmadinejad gave priority to "peripheral issues" while inflation climbed to 18 per cent. Danesh-Jafari was quoted by the Fars new agency as saying that while he was Minister, "there was no positive attitude towards previous experiences or experienced people and there was no plan for the future, issues which were not of direct importance to the nation were given priority."

This remark probably refers to the fact that Danesh-Jafari was the sixth Minister to change since Ahmadinejad was elected President.

Prices of basic foodstuffs, housing and basic commodities had risen sharply over the last year. There is wide discontent with the economic policies of the government.

ANI