Word: khamenei
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...opposition appears to be exploring the possibility of a compromise. Much of the speculation has centered on the possibility that former President Akbar Hashemei Rafsanjani - a wily power broker who's managed to hold the ever narrowing middle ground between the two camps - might mediate between the opposition and Khamenei. At least one opposition leader, former presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi, has openly mooted the possibility, though another, former president Mohammad Khatami, publicly denied having sent a letter to that effect to the Supreme Leader. But all three of the highest-profile opposition leaders - Karroubi, Khatami and Mir-Hossein Mousavi...
...there has been no response from Khamenei, though right-wing hard-liners have heaped scorn on the proposal. But there are some signs that the state may be open to a deal, or at least to giving some breathing room to the opposition. In the past two weeks, state television ran a series of programs that allowed critics of President Ahmadinejad to openly air their views. In January, a parliamentary panel accused former Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, a hard-line former judge, of being responsible for the violent deaths of three jailed opposition dissenters after antigovernment protests in July...
...There may be incentives for Khamenei to negotiate as well. The Supreme Leader's authority has traditionally rested on holding himself above day-to-day political decision making and infighting. But in the June election, Khamenei pre-emptively declared Ahmadinejad the winner before challenges to the vote count could be heard and declared that the incumbent was his preferred candidate. By so clearly taking sides, the Supreme Leader diminished his authority and ability to resolve disputes in the country's political system, making his own role a target of protests...
...difficulty is that any compromise would almost certainly have to involve Khamenei moving against Ahmadinejad, initiating a process within the political system that would involve the incumbent either being ousted or having his power considerably diluted. The leaders of the opposition risk losing the backing of their supporters in the streets if they are too willing to reconcile themselves with Ahmadinejad, given all the blood that has been spilled over the past six months. (See TIME's Pictures of the Week...
...Ahmadinejad become enough of a liability for Khamenei and his allies to move against him? The President faces a difficult term ahead, even without the unresolved question of his legitimacy. Critics of his government say it squandered billions during his first term on expensive social programs intended to buy political support. Now faced with increasing sanctions and lower oil revenues, the government is about to launch a new program to wean the economy from unsustainable subsidies, especially on energy - a move that is almost certainly going to be unpopular...