Iran's Khatami threatens mass resignation of reformists
14 January 2004 0303 hrs
channelnewsasia.com
TEHRAN : Iranian President Mohammad Khatami warned that all reformist figures in the country, including him and his government, would resign unless powerful conservatives back down over barring thousands of reformers from standing in forthcoming parliamentary elections.
"We will leave together (or) we will stay together. We have to remain firm. If one day we are asked to leave, then we will all leave, together," the embattled president was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA.
Khatami's comments came during a meeting with the Islamic republic's 27 provincial governors, all of whom are allies he has appointed.
The governors have said they will collectively resign unless the Guardians Council, an unelected conservative political watchdog, rescinds a massive blacklist of prospective candidates hoping to contest the February 20 vote.
Khatami openly accused those engaged in the screening process of being "partial", in a direct challenge to the 12-member council, a body whose members are either directly or indirectly appointed by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"The criteria upon which such decisions should be made were not respected and there must be a revision," Khatami said. "What has been done in the rejection of candidacies is not acceptable."
But Khatami said he had held talks over the crisis with the supreme leader.
"If the criteria set by the supreme guide on rejecting candidacies and the participation of voters were respected by the Guardians Council, our worries would be lifted," he said.
"I am not pessimistic and I hope the discussion will bring the wished-for result." |
