Tehran, August 05: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in today for a second term in office as president of Iran, appealing for national unity and denouncing foreign interference in his inauguration speech before parliament.
Ahmadinejad took the oath and pledged to protect the constitution but his inauguration speech was unusually soft-toned for the bellicose Iranian leader. He focused on foreign policy, saying he would make it “stronger and with more effective new plans.”
“I hereby swear by the almighty God to protect the system of the Islamic Revolution and the constitution, I will spare no effort to safeguard the frontiers of Iran,” Ahmadinejad said. He urged for unity and said: “We should join hands as we move forward to fulfill our goals.”
–Agencies