14 Sept 2011

A day in the life of Iran's president Ahmadinejad

Agencies/NBC

TEHRAN, Sep 14: Ahead of his upcoming trip to New York next week to attend the UN General Assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad allowed NBC reporter Ann Curry to accompany him on a typical working day.

WORKING OUT... Ahmadinejad sweats it out in the gym before starting his day
The senior correspondent's conclusion was that Ahmadinejad works around the clock.

After a 5 am prayer, Ahmadinejad goes out to jog with his security team, Curry reports, while waving his hands in "rocky style".

He then goes to the gym where he trains for 30 minutes, lifting weights or cycling. The Iranian leader reaches his "spacious but simple" office before 7 am, removes his shoes and scans the daily newspapers and western media outlets.

After an hour in his office, he meets Muslim clerics and addresses a conference in Tehran. By 9:40 am he boards the presidential jet, "a 50-year-old airplane, likely a result of Western sanctions" and flies to an eastern province.
POWER NAP ... The Iranian president catching up on his sleep on the floor of his office
According to his aids, Ahmadinejad often sleeps three hours a night, ending his work days at 2 a.m. They claim that even Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has advised him to get more sleep.

After meetings and tours near the border with Turkmenistan, he lands back in Tehran at 6:35 pm as Curry asks him what he wishes for Iran. Ahmadinejad replies, "I want the same future that I want for every nation: peace, friendship, happiness and unity."

The Iranian leader then returns to the presidential palace to hold more meetings, stops for prayer, continuing to work until midnight, when he calls it a day.
Other interesting points about the Iranian president:
  • He still brings his food to work made by his wife
  • Sleeps on the floor
  • Removed all the extravagant furniture in his office and replaced them with ordinary wooden chairs
  • Joined the municipal staff who came to clean the presidential premises
  • Still lives in the old house inherited by his father
  • Doesn't take the presidential salary, earns $250 by working as a lecturer in the university
  • Flies in economy class
  • Converted his official plane to a cargo plane to reduce government costs
  • Any minister can enter his office without permission
  • Stopped welcoming ceremonies and photo sessions

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.