POLL: MAJORITY WANTS POLITICAL CHANGE, EVEN WITH FOREIGN INTERVENTION. A recent poll conducted by the Expediency Council examined the demands of the Iranian people, "Yas-i No" newspaper reported on 22 June. A reported 45 percent of the respondents wanted changes in the political system, even if this came about through foreign intervention. Some 26 percent wanted managerial changes in order to improve the system's performance and bring about efficient growth. About 16 percent of the respondents wanted political reform and more power for reformists, while 13 percent of the respondents wanted the current political policies to continue and favored resolution of problems relating to people's livelihood. "Yas-i No" did not describe the format of the poll, where it was conducted, or the number of respondents.
"Yas-i No" asked why the Expediency Council could conduct a poll that has such controversial findings, while other institutions are punished. Although not spelled out, this is a clear reference to the September poll conducted by the Ayandeh Research Institute and the Islamic Culture and Guidance Ministry's National Institute for Research Studies and Opinion Polls, which found that 74.7 percent of Tehran residents favor negotiations with the United States, and 64.5 percent favored the resumption of Iran-U.S. talks. (Bill Samii)
TEHRAN BANS RALLIES ON ANNIVERSARY OF 1999 ATTACK. Iranian government spokesman Abdullah Ramezanzadeh said on 23 June that the Iranian Interior Ministry and the legislature have decided not to issue permits for off-campus rallies on 9 July ("18 Tir," its date in the Iranian calendar), the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. The Office for Strengthening Unity student group has made several requests to hold an off-campus rally that day to commemorate the events of that day in 1999 when hard-line vigilantes, aided by police, attacked a Tehran University dormitory and caused numerous casualties and at least one fatality. The government also rejected hard-line groups' requests for permits, according to Reuters on 23 June.
State Prosecutor-General Abdul-Nabi Namazi explained on 27 June that the country's authorities do not believe there is any "need" for a commemoration of the 1999 events this year, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported. The Education Ministry and the police have rejected student groups' applications for permits to hold a rally on the university campus and/or a march in Tehran, he said.
Yet the government has declared a week of mourning from 7-13 July for 300 Iranians killed during the 1980-88 war with Iraq whose remains were recently repatriated to Iran, IRNA reported on 22 June. So, although the government has banned conservative rallies as well as those of the students, the state-run media is likely to focus on veterans and regime supporters rather than on possible unauthorized gatherings of opponents of the government. Conversely, those who do protest against government policies during that week can expect to be portrayed as unpatriotic. (Bill Samii)
KHATAMI TO FACE PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONING ABOUT UNREST. Ardabil parliamentary representative Nureddin Pirmoazen said 25 of his colleagues have signed a letter requesting the opportunity to hold a closed meeting with President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami to discuss the recent unrest in Iran, "Iran" newspaper reported on 25 June. Pirmoazen had said in the 23 June "Hamshahri" that there is also a possibility of presenting a bill for the president's impeachment.
Birjand parliamentary representative Mehdi Ayati, who is a signatory of the letter, asked in "Hamshahri:" "Why have the promises, pledges, and programs that he spoke about on 2 Khordad [23 May 1997, the date of Khatami's election] not been realized?" Ayati said the public, because it is uninformed, sees the legislature, the executive branch, and the leadership as being similarly at fault for the country's problems. Questioning Khatami in the parliament would be an open platform, Ayati said. "It seems that, after impeachment proceedings, the people will differentiate between the parliament and the government, on the one hand, and the leadership, which has caused problems in political, economic, social, and cultural arenas, on the other; and their judgment will be fair."
Pirmoazen said on 26 June that although the legislature wants to question Khatami about the recent unrest in the country, it does not intend to impeach him, the new Mehr News Agency (http://195.96.154.227/), which is affiliated with the Islamic Propagation Organization, reported. Pirmoazen explained that the government must be accountable, and the questioning would contribute to stability and encourage people's trust and confidence. Pirmoazen would not disclose the content of the questions and said, "Different questions will be asked. They will cover economic, political, cultural and social issues. The president must answer these questions because ministers cannot do so." (Bill Samii)
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