Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) is sworn in as he stands next to Iran's judiciary chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi during a ceremony in front of parliament in Tehran. Ahmadinejad was sworn in as Iranian president as riot police broke up opposition protests over an election that triggered the worst turmoil in the Islamic republic's history. [Photo: Xinhua/AFP]
Hello and welcome to this edition of 
CRI Roundup on China Radio International. I'm Damin in Beijing.
In this edition, we will take a look at the re-election of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.Please stay with us.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in on Wednesday 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 and frontiers of Iran.
"I, as the president, swear to God before the Holy Quran and the Iranian nation that I will protect the official religion, the system of the Islamic Republic and the country's constitution."
Ahmadinejad said he will focus on foreign policy, pledging to make it "stronger and with more effective new plans."
He also promised to "uproot all sources of corruption" and move the economy forward, saying he believes he can "solve the problem of unemployment."
On Monday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorsed Ahmadinejad as Iranian president for the second term, but withheld a powerful symbolic gesture, the kisses and close embrace that portrayed their bond four years ago.
However, the uneasy body language reflected much of the political tension and collateral damage since the disputed June 12 election sent Iran into its worst internal unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Ahmadinejad limps toward his next four-year term as a figure backed by the Islamic system but scorned by millions of opponents who claim the vote was rigged.
Khamenei, meanwhile, has been rattled for the first time by protesters questioning the near limitless power of the theocracy he controls.
Both now are battered and bound together against the pro-reform backlash. But it's still a potentially testy relationship.
Amir Paivar is an Iranian analyst.
"That moment of pause, of confusion, of hesitation will probably symbolize what their relationship will be in the next four years - a kind of troubled, confused relationship between the two."
Khamenei appeared to signal he is willing to stand by Ahmadinejad, as he has since the election, but that the supercharged political climate requires new sensitivities to public opinion.
However, Iran's opposition claims Ahmadinejad stole the vote in the June 12 presidential elections, triggering mass street protests that have shaken the country's religious leadership.
The opposition called for demonstrations to coincide with the inauguration in Tehran. State-run Press TV said more than five-thousand members of the security forces were deployed around the parliament building and that police with sniffer dogs patrolled the area.
Two subway stations nearby were closed to the public. Witnesses said that security forces using batons dispersed hundreds of protesters in streets near parliament.
According to official sources, at least 30 demonstrators have been killed in the uprising.
Ahmadinejad did not directly address the massive street demonstrations against his proclaimed election victory, but said his government would "resist any violation of law and interference."
He made only a vague reference to the West and the US, which Ahmadinejad's camp has accused of backing the street protests.
"Nobody in Iran is waiting for your congratulations. The Iranian nation gives importance to neither your frowns and threats nor to your congratulations and smiles."
Authorities have banned media from covering the street protests, forcing them to rely on eyewitness accounts.
Many protesters have now broadened their anger toward the wider Islamic leadership, which they claim has trampled on their rights by recognizing what they see as a fraudulent election result.
Another cause for opposition anger is a mass trial scheduled to resume on Thursday for more than 100 people, including many prominent reformist activists and political figures. They are accused of encouraging the protests and challenging the Islamic system.
The trial has brought widespread denunciation from reformists and some powerful conservatives - adding to the rifts within Iran's leadership over its handling of the most serious domestic upheaval since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi is head of Iran's Judiciary.
"In the term ahead of us, everyone should cooperate and refrain from using so much power, capability and potential of the nation, country and officials on such minor and unimportant issues."
Under the constitution, Ahmadinejad has two weeks to propose a government and offer a list of Cabinet members for approval in parliament.
And that concludes this edition of the CRI Roundup. If you have any comments or suggestions or would like to listen to any of our programs online, you can visit our Web site at Crienglish.com. I'm Damin in Beijing. Thanks for listening. Stay tuned for more on China Radio International.
