TWELVERNOMICS ISN'T WORKING:

Tehran's bazaar stays shut in VAT protest (AFP, 10/13/08)

"Inflation of around 30 percent has to manifest itself in one way or another. This strike is a sign of the dissatisfaction of the middle class with the economic policies of Ahmadinejad," economist Saeed Leylaz told AFP.

A senior Iranian businessman sees the bazaaris' move as a protest against the government's economic policies in general.

"This movement goes beyond union demands," said Mohammad Reza Behzadian, former head of Tehran's chamber of commerce and industry.

"This government has made its decisions without ever considering the opinion of economic experts and businessmen. It is a normal reaction to this attitude."

Iran's bazaaris play an important political as well as economic role. The merchants contributed to the collapse of the shah's regime during the 1979 Islamic revolution when they went on long strikes.