Posted on 12/14/2003 6:37:07 PM PST by Pan_Yans Wife
The main reformist party in Iran has expressed fears that conservatives will prevent them from taking part in parliamentary elections next February.
The comments come as the registration of would-be candidates begins.
Reformist leaders say they fear that a powerful conservative watchdog body, the Guardian Council, could veto their members' attempts to run for office.
The BBC reports the biggest of the reformist factions that currently dominate parliament, The Participation Front, has said it will take part in the race.
However, it reserves the right to pull out if too many of its entrants are disqualified.
At present much of the betting is that the reformists will do poorly at the polls, even if their candidates get that far.
They have got little to show in practical terms for their years in office, largely because their efforts to bring about change have been blocked by an entrenched hardline minority.
Many of the millions of Iranians who voted overwhelmingly for the reformists are now bitterly disillusioned.
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