Dozens of Iranian lawmakers resign in response to blacklist

Kansas City Star ^ | Saturday, January 31, 2004 | SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON - Knight Ridder Newspapers

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

TEHRAN, Iran - (KRT) - Dozens of Iranian lawmakers resigned from parliament Saturday to protest the refusal by Iran's ruling Islamic clerics to lift a widespread ban on pro-reform candidates in next month's parliamentary elections.

The resignations herald an almost unavoidable showdown between the popularly-elected government of President Mohammad Khatami, who is allied with the reformers, and unelected hardline clerics on the Guardian Council.

The clerics have been trying to wrest control of the assembly from reformers who are working to bring secular rule to Iran.

On Friday, the all-powerful council refused to reinstate most of the candidates they had banned, including key reform leaders and incumbents, and insisted that elections proceed on Feb. 20 as planned.

In a clear warning they would not stand for defiance, the council also disqualified at least seven incumbents who were initially approved to run, but who protested on behalf of blacklisted colleagues.

With negotiations hopelessly stalled, most reformers say they no longer have a choice but to stand up the 12-man council. Among the options being weighed by Khatami and his ministers are postponing the elections or including the names of the 2,450 blacklisted candidates on the ballots.

Either action would directly contravene orders from the council and lead to a crisis of political control.

The outcome of the clash is of intense concern to the Bush administration, which would like to see a moderate, secular government come to power that would end alleged efforts to develop nuclear weapons and cut off support for international terrorism.

Any immediate decision on how to confront the council was delayed after doctors were summoned to the presidential office to treat Khatami for severe back pain on Saturday afternoon, officials said. His staff later canceled all of the president's meetings and events in the coming days, including the long-awaited inauguration Sunday of the new international airport south of the capital named after the Islamic Republic's late founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

State-run news outlets quoted Khatami saying that his government had reached a "deadlock" with powerful conservatives in a crisis over forthcoming elections. The statement was later retracted without explanation.

Instead, he was later quoted saying that his government "will hold only free and competitive elections."

But reformist incumbents staging their 21st daily sit-in in a hallway outside the main Majlis chamber insisted democratic elections were no longer possible. An estimated 60 lawmakers signed the joint letter of resignation. At least one reinstated incumbent also submitted his resignation.

"This Islam is the Islam of caliphs, not the Islam of a republic. This is dictatorship itself!" senior Majlis member Mohsen Mirdamadi proclaimed to fellow resigning parliament members who responded with enthusiastic applause. "Our duty is to stand against this deviation."

After his speech, Mirdamadi, one of the students who took hostages at the U.S. Embassy here in 1979, told Knight Ridder that the deepening political crisis was something he'd never imagined possible.

"The main threat we faced against our liberty early in the revolution was a threat from the outside - especially America," he said. "No one thought that someday we'd face a threat against our liberty from the inside."

The names of the resigning lawmakers are to be submitted to the speaker of the Majlis on Sunday. After the names are read aloud, those quitting will walk out en masse, organizers said. The debate and parliamentary approval needed for the resignations to take effect could tie up the legislature for a month.

Iran's interior minister, meanwhile, renewed his plea to the Guardian Council to postpone the elections. The request was immediately rejected.

"The Interior Ministry is obligated to hold these elections on the legally appointed date," Council member Reza Zavarei told Iran's student news agency. He added the bans confirmed on Friday could not be appealed.

Also on Saturday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman denied reports of an impending, unprecedented visit by a group of congressional aides to Tehran in February, which was announced by Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa, the day before. "No planning has been made for the visit of representatives from the American legislature to Iran and such trips are not on agenda," spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told state-run media.

[M Kehoe]

I wonder if the coming civil war will be quick.

5.56mm

[goldstategop]

The regime has dispensed even with the facade of elections... take it away and you have it for what it really is - the raw, naked power of the Islamic dictatorship and its unelected mullahs.

[RJCogburn]

Getting kinda interesting over there.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Nightline did a piece on Iran the other night and their final quest said this was going to take several generations to sort out!''

I am not so sure about that!

[DoctorZIn]

ping

[nuconvert]

"This Islam is the Islam of caliphs, not the Islam of a republic. This is dictatorship itself!" senior Majlis member Mohsen Mirdamadi proclaimed ...."

Well, Duh. Where's he been?

After his speech, Mirdamadi, one of the students who took hostages at the U.S. Embassy here in 1979, told Knight Ridder that the deepening political crisis was something he'd never imagined possible.

"The main threat we faced against our liberty early in the revolution was a threat from the outside - especially America," he said. "No one thought that someday we'd face a threat against our liberty from the inside."

This is just the beginning, Mirdamadi.

[nuconvert]

Reformists Resign Pong

[nuconvert]

"Iran's foreign ministry spokesman denied reports of an impending, unprecedented visit by a group of congressional aides to Tehran in February, which was announced by Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa, the day before. "No planning has been made for the visit of representatives from the American legislature to Iran and such trips are not on agenda," spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told state-run media."

An extra bonus to this post - Good

[nuconvert]

Ah, but Khatami said he wouldn't resign just yesterday. He's got a year to go. And he's in charge of lettting the other reformists know if their resignations will be accepted. This story isn't over yet. Let's see what Khatami does now. And whether all these reformists really leave.........

[FreedomPoster]

>>State-run news outlets quoted Khatami saying that his government had reached a "deadlock" with powerful conservatives in a crisis over forthcoming elections.

Why are Islamonazi nutcases "conservatives"? Can someone explain that?

[FreedomPoster]

>>I am not so sure about that!

So I wonder how many tons of Iraqi AK-47s, RPGs, mortars, HMGs, ammo, etc, we've got set aside for Iranian revolutionaries?

[hotpotato]

"The main threat we faced against our liberty early in the revolution was a threat from the outside - especially America," he said. "No one thought that someday we'd face a threat against our liberty from the inside."

Well, I don't know what else they expected from a bunch of thugs that raided our embassy and spent the next 400 plus days holding Americans as hostages, perading them before the international press as a means of humiliating "the great Satan" and today still lead massive demonstrations where people still shout "Death to America" and pass these sentiments on to their offspring. For those on this list that hope to persuade me that this isn't the sentiment of the people today, please don't bother. I'm quite aware of the Iranian hostilities that exist towards America though those who would like us to clean their house for them via invasion want us to think otherwise. Just long enough for us to do the dirty work for them and overthrow the all-powerful religious conservatives. And then get out.

[hotpotato]

perading -> parading

[M Kehoe]

...today still lead massive demonstrations where people still shout "Death to America" and pass these sentiments on to their offspring.

Notice the mullahs/government haven't sponsored demonstrations in a while. And the rhetoric/vitriol has ceased (especially since Saddam was pulled out of that spider hole, with a televised dental examine as an encore). With that nasty earthquake, the 4ID on their border, a potential coup, etc., they have become a little more accommodating lately.

5.56mm

[Pan_Yans Wife]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1057457/posts

There really is no distinction between the conservatives and reformists, but the media doesn't highlight that for the reader.

[AmericanVictory]

Time for the thesis that the Mullah's dictatorship is out of step with Shia tradition to be put to the test.

[hotpotato]

Notice the mullahs/government haven't sponsored demonstrations in a while. And the rhetoric/vitriol has ceased (especially since Saddam was pulled out of that spider hole, with a televised dental examine as an encore). With that nasty earthquake, the 4ID on their border, a potential coup, etc., they have become a little more accommodating lately.

Just a few examples of what's happening in Iran *after* the capture of Saddam and *after* US aid to Iran following the earthquake

Jan 23, 2004 Shouted by women members of Iran's Bassiji volunteer militias during weekly prayers Friday over a proposal in France to prohibit Muslim schoolgirls from wearing headscarves, an AFP journalist said:
The habitual "Death to America, Israel" was also shouted, as demonstrators carried banners reading "Islam yes, liberal and secular no."

Jan 22, 2004:
In other words, while Americans are still trying to agree on a plan for transferring sovereignty to Iraqis, Iranian mullahs are busy implementing their own plan: to turn Iraq's Shia population against the United States and in favor of Islamist rule.

Jan 16, 2004:
Meeting after prayers, they also chanted "death to America!", according to a Reuters correspondent.

Jan 03, 2004:
A leading Iranian cleric said yesterday he believed the United States was trying to exploit the Bam earthquake for political gain and applauded what he called a "slap in the face" given to Washington by the Islamic Republic....
"Naturally America wanted to take advantage of this situation by offering some help and bringing up the issue of relations," Jannati said.

"It was given a slap in the face," he told worshippers to chants of "Death to America".

He was referring to Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, who on Tuesday said US aid was not a harbinger of better ties and noted US officials "talk a lot of nonsense".

Jannati, whose views reflect hardliners believed to be close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said: "All their moves are political and now they offer help – politically."

Jan 3, 2004
Both Tehran and Washington had agreed to set aside 25 years of hostility for the occasion, producing speculation that "earthquake diplomacy" might succeed in melting the political ice.

There is an outside chance that it might, though hardliners here, chanting "Death to America" again at Friday prayers just a week after the disaster, are clearly bent on stopping it.

[thedavetx]

Now over 100 resignations according to this Associated Press article.