Mehdi Karrubi Watch

Mehdi Karoubi Shows Lack of Integrity in Attack on Rafsanjani - New York Times

2005-05-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

Iran Presidential Campaign 2005: "Mehdi Karoubi Shows Lack of Integrity in Attack on Rafsanjani - New York Times
Iran's Ex-Leader Seeks Return in the Trappings of a Reformer - New York Times: "One rival candidate, Mehdi Karoubi, a centrist cleric and former speaker of Parliament, laid out Mr. Rafsanjani's past democratic failings in a widely circulated letter. He attacked Mr. Rafsanjani for not defending candidates rejected by the Guardians Council in previous elections, for allowing the Intelligence Ministry to dabble in the economy, and indirectly for the deaths of dissident intellectuals during his presidency from 1989 to 1997, killings later traced to intelligence agents.
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HAMBASTEGI Endorses Karroubi

2005-01-14T07:45:00.000-08:00

Iran Daily: "Presidential Aspirant

HAMBASTEGI: Former Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karroubi is among the top ten personalities of the Islamic system. He is a freedom fighter who was on several occasions jailed during the former monarchical regime. Along with the rest of the people of the country, he chanted slogans in favor of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. He has always lived a simple life and obeyed the guidelines of the late Imam. During all these years, he displayed a great deal of patience. Now once again he wants to hold a top post in the Islamic system. Karroubi has never asked for too much and never succumbed to the ill wishes of the Great Satan of our times, namely the US. This time around Karroubi has real effective socioeconomic, political and cultural plans as a presidential nominee."

IIPP will support Karrubi candidacy if reformists reach consensus: ACC official

2005-01-03T20:51:00.000-08:00

IIPP will support Karrubi candidacy if reformists reach consensus: ACC official: "IIPP will support Karrubi candidacy if reformists reach consensus: ACC official
TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (MNA) -- Mohammad Musavi Bojnurdi, a member of the Central Council of the Association of Combatant Clerics (ACC), said here on Friday that the Islamic Iran Participation Party (IIPP) would support former Majlis speaker Mahdi Karrubi if the reformists reach a consensus on his candidacy in the next presidential election.
Some IIPP officials have stated that although they have selected former science minister Mostafa Moein as their candidate, that does not mean they will stand by their choice if the reformists reach a consensus on another candidate, Bojnurdi told the Fars News Agency.

He stressed that splitting their vote among several candidates would be detrimental to the Second of Khordad Front, adding that all reformist groups should agree on a single candidate in order to win the election.

Bojnurdi added that Karrubi has not yet made a final decision on whether or not to accept the nomination.

Meanwhile, members of the Supreme Council of the Solidarity Party (SP) have reached a final decision to support Karrubi as their presidential candidate, a party member announced.

If Karrubi refuses to run for the post, the party will field its secretary general, Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, as a candidate, the SP member said on condition of anonymity.

MP Ismail Tatari also voiced support for Karrubi, saying that he would not run for president if Karrubi accepted the nomination.

“I believe Karrubi is a proficient and intelligent figure and can play a very useful and effective role at this sensitive juncture,” he told the Mehr News Agency.

The MP said that Moein is another competent nominee whose participation in the election would increase enthusiasm among potential voters."

CCRF support split between Karrubi, Rafsanjani, and Moein

2004-12-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

Description of Selected News: "Some reformist groups eying Rafsanjani for president: Salamati

Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN (MNA) – The secretary general of the Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization (IRMO), Mohammad Salamati, said on Monday that some reformist groups support the candidacy of Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in the upcoming presidential election.

“Some groups within the reformist camp have Mr. Hashemi in their mind but they have not yet officially announced it in the council so that it could be studied,” Salamati told the Mehr News Agency (MNA) when asked about the presence of Rafsanjani in the Coordination Council of the Reformist Front (CCRF).

Salamati also said some groups in the CCRF back the candidacy of former Majlis speaker and incumbent secretary general of the Assembly of Combatant Clerics Mahdi Karrubi in elections.

Some groups in the CCRF including IRMO have announced that they will back former science minister Mostafa Moein but all the CCRF member groups, despite having their own particular candidates, have made it clear that they are prepared to negotiate until they reach a consensus over a single candidate.

So far the Islamic Iran Participation Party (IIPP), as the biggest reformist party in Iran, and the IRMO have officially announced that they will throw their weight behind Moein for the post. ----About 40 parties and groups back Rafsanjani candidacy

Mohammad-Javad Mohammad Nuri, the secretary general of the Islamic Revolution Youth Society (IRYS) said that the number of parties, groups, or associations which support the candidacy of Rafsanjani has now reached forty from the previous total of twenty-two.

Mohammad Nuri said these parties and groups, which form the Coalition for the Supporters of Rafsanjani, will push ahead in encouraging the EC chairman to enter the presidential contest.

“These parties and groups still maintain the position that in the current situation, the most qualified person for the presidential post is Hashemi Rafsanjani,” the IRYS leader stated.

The necessary conditions that Rafsanjani cited for his candidacy have now been provided, and therefore the possibility of his candidacy has increased, he added.

Rafsanjani had previously announced that if he thought that conditions were ripe for him, he would run for president.

Mohammad Nuri said the Coalition for the Supporters of Rafsanjani will hold a meeting at the headquarters of the Islamic Labor Party on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of other groups or parties joining the coalition.

Iran’s next presidential election is scheduled to be held late spring."

Office for Consolidating Unity asks Karrubi to run for president

2004-12-23T04:31:00.000-08:00

Description of Selected News: "Office for Consolidating Unity asks Karrubi to run for president

Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN (MNA) -- Central council members of the Office for Consolidating Unity (OCU) invited former Majlis speaker Mahdi Karrubi to run for president in the upcoming election in a meeting on Tuesday night.

“In a meeting with Mahdi Karrubi we discussed our views with him and asked his views about the position and the current status of the reformist faction,” Mahdi Darvish, the head of the OCU public relations office, told the Mehr News Agency."

No announcement yet on Karrubi candidacy

2004-12-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

No announcement yet on Karrubi candidacy: "No announcement yet on Karrubi candidacy
TEHRAN, Dec. 1 (MNA) -- Mohammad Baqer Zakeri of the Assembly of Combatant Clerics (ACC) said here on Wednesday that former Majlis speaker Mahdi Karrubi would himself announce if he plans to become a candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
It seems that no other candidate has as good a chance of winning Iran’s ninth presidential election, he observed, adding that Karrubi is the strongest of the reformists’ potential candidates.

Zakeri said that Karrubi is the most suitable candidate because he is a defender of the people’s rights and a follower of the path of the late Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Commenting on why the ACC has not named Karrubi as one of its candidates, Zakeri stated that a great number of people all over the country have asked Karrubi to take part in the election, and if he accepts, he has actually accepted an invitation from all Iranians and not a specific group.

He went on to say that the reformist groups are all in favor of Karrubi becoming a candidate, and as the spokesman of the Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization previously announced, there is great consensus on the candidacies of Karrubi and Mostafa Moein, the former minister of science, research and technology.

Meanwhile, Hamid Reza Taraqqi, a member of the Central Council of the Islamic Coalition Society, said here on Wednesday that the participation of Mahdi Karrubi in the election would boost voter turnout, adding that the conservatives would welcome any reformist candidate who could tighten the race.

Taraqqi also noted that the conservatives are not thinking about asking Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to become a candidate because he has not changed his previous stance."

Former IRIB director accepts to run for president

2004-12-14T19:10:00.000-08:00

Former IRIB director accepts to run for president: "Former IRIB director accepts to run for president
TEHRAN, Dec. 11 (MNA) – Maryam Behrouzi, the head of the political section of the Followers of Imam and Leadership Front (FILF), said on Friday that former director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Ali Larijani, has accepted to run in the ninth round of presidential elections.
Behrouzi said that the front has negotiated with Larijani over his candidacy and has concluded that Larijani could serve as the front’s likely favorite candidate.

Behrouzi added that within the next two weeks the front will hold negotiations with other potential candidates as well so that it can field one candidate for the top job.

Currently, Larijani acts as Leader’s representative to the Supreme National Security Council.

With regards to the possible candidacy of former Majlis speaker Mahdi Karrubi in the election she said that FILF welcomes the participation of Karrubi in the presidential contest."

Rafsanjani almost certain for candidacy: Informed source

2004-12-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

Rafsanjani almost certain for candidacy: Informed source: "Mahdi Karrubi, the former Majlis speaker, and Ali Akbar Velayati, the former foreign minister were definitely the strong rivals of Rafsanjani, adding that Rafsanjani has almost made up his mind to run for presidency in the ninth round of presidential election.

According to the source, a secret agreement would be achieved on Hashemi Rafsanjani’s candidacy, because from among other conservative candidates, the Reformists favor Rafsanjani, and also in comparison with other reformist candidates, the Conservatives would prefer Hashemi."

[ RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY ]

2004-11-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

[ RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY ]: "RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY

2 February 2004, Volume 7, Number 5

KHATAMI WILL HOLD ELECTIONS -- REGARDLESS... As Iran marks the 25th anniversary of its Islamic Revolution on 1-10 February, called the "Ten Days of Dawn," the country is caught in one of the greatest political crises in its history. Iran's Interior Ministry -- which is responsible for holding elections -- has called for their postponement in light of the current dispute over candidates' eligibility, an action that has been deemed permissible by a presidentially appointed constitutional expert. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, however, has vowed that the elections will take place as scheduled, on 20 February, and the Guardians Council, which is responsible for supervising elections, has said the same. The likelihood of the elections occurring under the current dubious circumstances leads to speculation about voter turnout and the level of political-party participation in the election.

Hojatoleslam Hashem Hashemzadeh-Harisi, who serves on the presidentially appointed Committee for the Implementation and Supervision of the Constitution, told Radio Farda on 30 January that it would be permissible to postpone the parliamentary elections. "If the executives at the Interior Ministry and the Guardians Council agree, they can postpone up to one month, or 20 days, or 10 days. They also have the authority not to postpone them, but the 7th Parliament has to be ready by the end of May 2004." Hashemzadeh-Harisi continued: "If they at their discretion decide to postpone the elections, there will not be any legal problems, because we have time until the end of May to get the final results for the 7th Parliament. There is no particular or legal time frame set for the elections -- just an agreement to conduct them on the months proceeding to May 2004."

Provincial governors-general met for four hours at the Interior Ministry on the evening of 28 January and subsequently announced that organizing a "free and fair election" for 20 February is "impossible," IRNA reported. The announcement added that "public trust, convergence of ideas, and the nation's participation in the elections are all seriously at stake under the current conditions." "Setting a new date for the elections seems to be quite essential under the current conditions," the governors-general concluded.

Interior Minister Abdolvahed Musavi-Lari, in a 29 January letter to Guardians Council Secretary Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, also urged postponement of the parliamentary elections, ISNA reported. Postponement, Musavi-Lari said in his letter, "will allow us and the esteemed Guardians Council to create suitable conditions for holding true and healthy elections." Musavi-Lari had said on 27 January that there is no possibility of holding "free, healthy, and competitive elections" on 20 February, IRNA reported.

The same day, however, President Khatami ended speculation that the government might not hold the elections. "The government's plan is to hold healthy, free, and competitive elections and we will definitely hold such an election," Khatami said, according to IRNA. "To shut down the elections means to shut down democracy, and God does not want such a thing for our people." Khatami repeated this after the 28 January cabinet meeting, saying, "God willing, the election will be held on time," IRNA reported.

Iran's Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Minister Admiral Ali Shamkhani said on 29 January, "Iran will hold exciting elections on the scheduled date, disappointing its enemies and proving once more that there is no such thing as a deadlock in the political life of the Islamic Republic," ISNA reported.

In a 30 January letter to Musavi-Lari, Jannati rejected the request to postpone the elections. In a second letter to Jannati, Musavi repeated his request: "I again propose the election's postponement be put on the agenda," IRNA reported on 31 January.

Government spokesman Abdullah Ramezanzadeh had told ISNA on 26 January that the government will organize the elections only if they would be "competitive, fair, and healthy." "In other words, it means that in all constituencies there should be real competition and not a stage-managed one, to allow all the people who are willing to compete legally and within the framework of the law and the constitution of the Islamic Republic to do so," Ramezanzadeh said. He called for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to "become more involved." (Bill Samii)

...BUT WILL ANYBODY COME? As it now seems that parliamentary elections will take place as scheduled, two crucial and outstanding issues remain: party participation and voter turnout.

The 1 February submission of resignations by 116 members of parliament added uncertainty to the debate over the role of parties in the elections. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Hojatoleslam Hassan Rohani told the first congress of the Moderation and Development Party (Hizb-i Ettedal va Toseh), which took place on 29 January, that the hue and cry raised by parties would result in public skepticism about the political process, IRNA and ISNA reported. Rohani said parties are obliged to encourage public activism and national unity. He seemed to criticize the parties by saying that if they introduced the most qualified candidates for public offices then there would be no need for other filters.

The 2nd of Khordad Front Coordination Council -- which heads the 18-organization reformist grouping named after the date of Khatami's election on 23 May 1997 -- announced with regret on 31 January that it would not participate in the parliamentary elections, IRNA and ISNA reported. The reformist Militant Clerics Association (Majma-yi Ruhaniyun-i Mubarez) announced on 24 January that if the current trend in the election process continues, then it will "officially withdraw from participating" in the elections, "Entekhab" reported on 25 January. The party added that the results of this "rubber-stamp selection" would be unacceptable and it would not approve of them. Ebrahim Asqarzadeh, secretary-general of the Islamic Iran Solidarity Party (Hizb-i Hambastegi-yi Iran-i Islami), said in the 21 January "Aftab-i Yazd" that his organization does not see "the minimum conditions" for participating in the elections.

The extent of public participation and its impact on the final tally is also open to debate. An Interior Ministry poll described in the 24 January issue of "Mardom Salari" found that almost 60 percent of respondents are inclined to vote, while almost 29 percent of respondents said they will not participate in the balloting.

Deputy speaker of parliament Mohammad Reza Khatami predicted on 26 January that the conservatives can win if public turnout is 25 percent and the conservative and reformist factions will break even if there is a 25 to 40 percent turnout, IRNA reported. "In case the public voting turns out to exceed 40 percent, the victory of the reform faction would be guaranteed," the deputy speaker added.

The conservatives will not have any rivals for 202 legislative seats, according to the 24 January "Mardom Salari." Mustafa Tajzadeh, a leading figure in the Islamic Iran Participation Party and the Mujahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization, put that figure at 180 in an interview that appeared in the 23 January "Financial Times." Tajzadeh said the best-known reformists have been disqualified from competing for the other 110 seats.

Tajzadeh described disqualification of cabinet members as one of the conservatives' objectives after taking power.

SPEAKER PREDICTS GOOD NEWS ON PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. The Guardians Council reinstated the candidacy of three incumbent legislators for the upcoming parliamentary election, IRNA reported on 31 January, citing the "Sharq" newspaper. The approved legislators are Zanjan's Abolfazl Shakuri, Isfahan's Nasser Khaleqi, and Dasht-i Azadegan's Abdolzahra Alemi.

In all, 1,160 previously disqualified prospective candidates were reinstated, IRNA reported. The Guardians Council, on 11 January, rejected for a variety of reasons the eligibility of some 80 members of the legislature, and a total of 3,533 out of 8,144 applicants to be candidates in the 20 February election.

However, Speaker of Parliament Hojatoleslam Mehdi Karrubi said on 27 January that good news regarding eligible candidates will come by close of business on 30 January (the deadline for the Guardians Council to inform the Interior Ministry about prospective candidates' appeals), state television and IRNA reported the same day. Karrubi described this as the outcome of his 25 January meeting with Guardians Council Secretary Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati and the 26 January meeting of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the heads of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

Karrubi also said a presidentially appointed committee -- consisting of Intelligence and Security Minister Hojatoleslam Ali Yunesi, Industries and Mines Minister Ishaq Jahangiri, Commerce Minister Hussein Shariatmadari, and Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar-Zanganeh -- is investigating the vetting process. Zanganeh announced on 28 January that negotiations with the Guardians Council are underway, IRNA reported.

Karrubi said on 28 January that there is no crisis and insisted that the elections will proceed on schedule, IRNA reported. He noted that elections even took place during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War. (Bill Samii)

KHATAMI REJECTS OFFICIALS' RESIGNATIONS. President Khatami on 26 January rejected the mass resignation of his top officials, IRNA reported. In his reply to the officials, the text of which was supplied by the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA), Khatami said: "It is our definite duty to continue to serve the Islamic Republic and the noble nation." He went on to insist on holding a free and sound election.

Vice President for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hojatoleslam Mohammad Ali Abtahi spoke to reporters after the 21 January cabinet meeting. When asked about the possible reaction to a failure to resolve the current crisis over the massive rejection of prospective parliamentary candidates, he said: "In such a case, we shall proceed with mass resignation. A number of ministers and vice presidents who have submitted their resignations are obviously awaiting the response to their move," IRNA reported.

Cooperatives Minister Ali Sufi also said, after the 21 January cabinet session, that a number of ministers and vice presidents have submitted their resignations, "but the president has not agreed to any of the resignations," Fars News Agency reported. Sufi said he submitted his resignation.

An anonymous member of the legislature's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee said that 100 cabinet staffers have submitted their resignations, ILNA reported. "These resignations will become definite, should the Guardians Council refuse to reconsider its assessment by the end of January," the legislator added. (Bill Samii)

ELECTED OFFICIALS CONCEDE THAT TALKS WITH UNELECTED ONES WERE WASTE OF TIME. Iran's top elected officials -- President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami and Speaker of Parliament Hojatoleslam Mehdi Karrubi -- conceded in a 24 January statement that their meeting with the unelected Guardians Council one week earlier about the disqualification of some 45 percent of the prospective candidates for the February parliamentary polls failed to yield results and the council's explanations did not clarify the situation, IRNA reported.

They urged the council to publish a record of the meeting in order to enlighten the public, ILNA reported. "We insist on holding free, competitive, and healthy elections," the statement read. "We hope that in view of the current psychological and propaganda atmosphere, the esteemed Guardians Council will conduct a speedy and thorough review of the decisions by the supervisory boards and pave the way for such elections."

Karrubi noted on 25 January that 1,319 people were rejected simply because the council could not find sufficient evidence in favor of them, the parliamentary newsletter reported (http://mellat.majles.ir).

Meanwhile, Guardians Council Secretary Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said in a 28 January letter to Interior Minister Hojatoleslam Abdolvahed Musavi-Lari that approval of an individual's candidacy in the past does not justify later approval if there is knowledge to the contrary, ISNA reported. Jannati's letter specified the reasons for rejecting people and gave the specific number of offenses in each case.

In a 31 January statement to reporters, Khatami said that the negotiations with the Guardians Council had reached a "dead end," IRNA reported. His office later faxed a statement to IRNA denying that he ever said "We have reached a dead end with the Guardians Council." (Bill Samii)

GUARDIANS REJECT EMERGENCY-ELECTION LEGISLATION. The Guardians Council, which is tasked with approving all legislation on Islamic and constitutional grounds, on 25 January rejected a bill that would force it to reinstate most of the prospective candidates for the February parliamentary elections it has rejected, AP reported.

Tehran parliamentary representative Hojatoleslam Majid Ansari described the bill on 24 January, according to the Interior Ministry website (http://www.moi.ir/), saying that one part of it stipulates that anybody whose candidacy for a previous election has been approved will have his or her candidacy approved for this election, barring provision of valid documentation to the contrary. Another part of the bill, he said, stipulates that a board of local worthies will judge a person's commitment to Islam, the constitution, and Vilayat-i Faqih (rule of the supreme jurisconsult), as well as that person's reputation.

Mohsen Armin, a reformist legislator representing Tehran, said on 26 January that there is "no good reason" for political groups to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections since the Guardians Council has rejected this legislation, ILNA reported. Armin said that a free election is not guaranteed and, "as a last resort, those who have staged a sit-in will resign their positions in the sixth parliament in protest against the blatant violation of their rights as citizens." Legislators participating in a sit-in to protest the disqualifications are consulting with the government on their next step, he said.

Parliamentary bills that are rejected by the Guardians Council can be referred to the Expediency Council for adjudication, but that is unlikely to occur this time. Armin said, "I believe that referring the bill to the Expediency Council is a waste of time and we will miss legal opportunities to get a review of the undesirable trend in these elections."

Speaking to ISNA on 27 January, Tehran's Mohsen Mirdamadi said that action on the bill would be suspended for six months. Based on past precedent, he said, it is clear that sending the bill to the Expediency Council would be unproductive. The type of legislation rejected by the Guardians Council can be divided into two categories, Mirdamadi said. In some cases the legislation can be amended, but in other cases implementation of the council's recommendations would make the legislation meaningless. (Bill Samii)

SPEAKER SAYS ASSEMBLY OF EXPERTS BY-ELECTIONS ARE MEANINGLESS. Speaker of Parliament Hojatoleslam Mehdi Karrubi on 28 January said the Assembly of Experts by-elections, which are being held in four provinces concurrently with the 20 February parliamentary elections, are essentially meaningless because only one candidate has been approved in each constituency, IRNA reported. Nevertheless, Karrubi urged political groups to participate actively in the elections and expressed confidence that such problems would be overcome.

The Guardians Council approved only five candidates for the races in Ardabil, East Azerbaijan, Hormozgan, and Zanjan provinces, ILNA reported on 26 January, citing the Interior Ministry's website. Of 19 prospective candidates, the Guardians Council rejected nine applicants and another five withdrew. The Ardabil, East Azerbaijan, and Zanjan races are uncontested, and the there are only two candidates in Hormozgan Province. (Bill Samii)

ANTIREFORM HEADQUARTERS AT WORK IN IRAN. "Shirin Ebadi's $2 million dollar contract with the Zionists and Americans." "Mustafa Tajzadeh: Behzad Nabavi and I did not believe Imam Khomeini for even one moment." These are typical headlines that can be found on http://www.efsha.info.

Hard-line websites like this were described recently on a reformist website (http://web.peykeiran.com/net_iran/irnewsbody.aspx?ID=11108). The report claimed that Mohsen Mohammad runs efsha.info and its server is the Kuwait-based q8it.com. Another such site is http://www.daricheh.org which, according to the article, uses the Safieh server and is run by Arsh Haqiqpur, Omid Husseini, and Ali Amiri. The website's office is on Qaem Farahani Avenue in Tehran.

Reformist political figures believe that hard-liners are behind these websites, and say that they are part of a bigger conspiracy against them. They believe, furthermore, that the websites are connected with figures in government and make use of state resources.

Tehran parliamentary representative Ali Shakuri-Rad pointed out in the 11 January "Nasim-i Saba" that even before the supervisory boards had finished examining applicants' qualifications, the daricheh website announced the rejection of roughly 4,000 out of 8,000 prospective candidates for the parliamentary election. Shakuri-Rad also said that an antireform headquarters is trying to create crises. Tehran representative Mohammad Reza Khatami said in the same article that the hard-liners' objective is to prevent the spread of accurate information and to make people question the reformists' statements.

About a week later, government spokesman Abdullah Ramezanzadeh said, "There is evidence that proves the presence of [the antireform] headquarters is not a figment of the imagination," "Mardom Salari" reported on 18 January. Ramezanzadeh said this headquarters is waging psychological warfare against the government, and he added that the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) has conducted a survey that found some hard-line websites are fed from one source.

Reformist parliamentarian Behzad Nabavi had mentioned an antireform "headquarters" during the 9 December session of parliament and said this headquarters circulates "rumors and calumnies through the websites affiliated with the parallel intelligence organizations," and legislators urged the president to reveal MOIS findings (see "RFE/RL Iran Report," 19 January 2004). (Bill Samii)

KHATAMI INVESTIGATES SOUTHEASTERN RIOT. Seifullah Shahdad-Nejad, governor of the Kerman Province town of Shahr-i Babak, said on 26 June that President Khatami has dispatched a team to investigate the riot that took place there on the weekend of 24-25 January, IRNA reported. Shahdad-Nejad said delegations from the President's Office, the Interior Ministry, and the Kerman Governor-General's Office are all looking into the unrest.

Security forces had killed four residents of Qasemabad village and injured many others when they attacked copper-factory workers who were striking, Mansur Suleimani-Meimandi, the parliamentary representative from Shahr-i Babak, Kerman Province, had said on 25 January according to Fars News Agency. The protest started in Qasemabad and then spread to Shahr-i Babak, the legislator said, adding that the workers were demonstrating for permanent contracts. (AFP quoted Suleimani-Meimandi as saying the unrest began in the Khatunabad village.)

Shahdad-Nejad explained that the violence took place when riot police tried to prevent protestors from attacking the police headquarters and the governorate, adding that disgruntled copper-smelter workers were protesting layoffs when 300 motorcycle-riding individuals attacked the buildings. Shahdad-Nejad said baton-wielding police injured some people and objects hurled by the workers injured others. Shahdad-Nejad did not rule out the role of "a certain group," a locution that has come to be used to describe the hard-line Ansar-i Hizbullah vigilantes. (Bill Samii)

'TEN DAYS' OF DAWN BEGINS. This year Iran will mark the "Ten Days of Dawn" -- the commemoration of the revolution -- in the first week of February. The 16 January 1979 departure from Iran of the monarch, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, for all intents and purposes finalized Iran's Islamic revolution.

Veteran Iranian journalist Massoud Behnud says that the shah's departure from Iran ended an era. "On that day, I mean as soon as the shah's plane left Tehran airport around 12:30, I believe that in that moment the Pahlavi dynasty and also Iran's era of monarchy ended, even though [the people] had to wait 38 days till it was officially announced."

The shah lived in exile until succumbing to cancer on 27 July 1980 in Cairo.

Two weeks after the departure of the shah, on 1 February 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran after 14 years of exile and took power. After a 1 April referendum, he declared Iran an Islamic Republic.

Behnud says that most Iranians took the departure of the shah as a positive development. "Twenty-five years ago on the day when the shah, the last king of the country, left Iran, only a small number of people thought about the fact that 2,500 years of monarchy or more were ending. People focused on the reality that a dictator was leaving the scene."

Behnud was there, and witnessed the celebrations in Tehran that greeted the news that the shah was gone. "As the radio carried the news, and with the early publishing of 'Ettelaat' newspaper with its big 'Shah Has Left' headline, all of a sudden the city exploded. In the queues in front of the gas stations, where people had gathered for gasoline and fuel -- it was winter -- people started to cheer and celebrate. And I had never seen either before that or after it -- in the last 40 years -- such joy."

Twenty-five years later, however, that joy has faded for most Iranians. Dissatisfaction is growing with theocratic rule. Many who despised the shah and feared SAVAK, his secret police, now remember his rule with nostalgia. Afshin Molavi, journalist and author of "Persian Pilgrimages: Journey Across Iran," says that economic hardship and lack of social freedom are the main causes for the change of heart.

"When you travel across Iran what you notice is that there is a substantial amount of economic nostalgia for the Shah's era," according to Molavi. "And you see that just about everywhere you go and among all classes from the working classes to the middle classes, the upper middle classes, and you know there is a reason for that. Since the days of the revolution, Iranians earn in real terms one-fourth of what they did before 1979. And everywhere you go people complain about the lack of jobs. They also complain about the low wages, which they say do not correspond to the high cost of living."

Molavi adds that the devaluation of the Iranian currency is another reason for nostalgia, a loss of value that is often used as an indication of the Islamic Republic's mismanagement. Molavi says that young people's discontent with theocratic rule is likely to be tied to the strict social regulations imposed under the Islamic regime.

Behnud says that many people regret the departure of Mohammad Reza Shah. But author Molavi says few Iranians would want a return to monarchy. "They've come to this sort of a unifying idea that the Islamic republic has not served us well, so what we need is a more democratic republic, and I think that the people don't necessarily believe that a monarchy is an answer to all of their ills." (Golnaz Esfandiari)

DESPITE TOUGH TALK, IRAN STILL SEEKS RELATIONS WITH U.S. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi had a 90-minute meeting with Senator Joseph Biden (Democrat, Delaware) on 23 January during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, IRNA reported the next day. Kharrazi, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry press bureau, said during the meeting that "the Iranian nation has suffered gravely from the antagonistic steps of the American government and so long as these wrong policies continue, there will be no ground for dialogue." He said that "American statesmen are required first to change their existing approach and prove their good will in order to pave the way for dialogue and diplomatic relations according to mutual respect."

Biden, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry press bureau, "stressed the importance of Iran and the role that it can play in the sensitive and volatile region," and he also hoped for the removal of factors hindering relations between the two countries.

Kharrazi said in a 27 January press conference that his meeting with Biden was "just a chance encounter," state television reported. "He came up to me and wished to speak to me," Kharrazi explained. "We just talked to him unofficially." Kharrazi expressed his admiration of Biden, saying: "Of course, he is among the critics of the American administration. In view of his vast experience in foreign affairs, he has a more realistic view of this region and Iran.... However, well, [Biden] is not in a position to do anything."

During his 27 January press conference, furthermore, Kharrazi discussed the circumstances under which Tehran would engage in some sort of dialogue with Washington. "We welcome the cooperation of those countries that are ready to cooperate with Iran, keeping in mind bilateral respect and adherence [to] the dignity and independence of our country," he said. "We have no objections if American companies would like to come to Iran and contribute to the development of this country." In discussing the oil and gas sector, Kharrazi said, "American companies...have been deprived of taking part in this active market and they should ask the U.S. government to lift this embargo."

The next day, 28 January, Tehran's United Nations representative, Mohammad Javad Zarif, visited Washington and met with a bipartisan Congressional group. About six members of both houses attended a dinner with Zarif that was hosted by Representative Robert Ney (Republican-Ohio) and Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania), "The Washington Post" reported on 29 January. According to the 30 January "USA Today," the people at that dinner, which took place in a room near the office of House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois), were Specter and Ney, as well as Representatives John Larson (Democrat-Connecticut), Doug Bereuter (R-Nebraska), and Vic Snyder (D-Arkansas). Ney said many more would have attended the dinner as there is "extreme interest on the Hill on both sides of the aisle," "The Washington Post" reported.

"The Washington Post" noted that although this was not an official visit, Zarif did have to obtain State Department permission because Iranian officials' movements are restricted to within 25 miles of New York City. Zarif told reporters before the dinner, "Dialogue on a good number of regional issues would be beneficial for both countries as long as there is an interest in moving forward with an open mind and a new approach." He added, "Iran cannot be excluded from any discussions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran is an important part of the region."

Zarif said in a 29 January telephone interview that Iran is thinking about receiving a U.S. Congressional delegation, "USA Today" reported. Zarif said a date for such an event has not been set yet, but guests at the 28 January dinner with Zarif said dates as early as 11 February were discussed for a preliminary visit by congressional aides. According to "USA Today," a congressional visit is unlikely before Iran's parliamentary elections take place.

A few days later, however, Iranian officials -- Foreign Minister Kharrazi on 1 February and ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi on 31 January -- denied that congressional aides would be visiting Iran soon, according to IRNA.

Other Iranian officials are taking a more doctrinaire approach to relations with the U.S. President Khatami said on 25 January in Tehran that it is up to the United States to improve the situation, IRNA reported. "If we observe a fundamental change in American policies, a new situation will prevail," he told reporters.

Supreme National Security Council Secretary Hojatoleslam Hassan Rohani told Semnan Province university students and officials on 28 January that the possible resumption of Iran-U.S. relations is remote, IRNA reported. "It is the Americans who should adopt a policy to enable us to resume ties with them," Rohani said, adding, "America is now considered as our enemy which threatens the Islamic Republic of Iran." "Whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran is assured that the U.S. does not pursue a policy of hegemony and plunder and instead favors logical relations to secure mutual interests, Iran can decide on the matter," Rohani said. (Bill Samii)

IRAN INVOLVED WITH ISRAEL-HIZBALLAH PRISONER SWAP. An aircraft bearing an Israeli businessman -- Elhanan Tenenbaum -- who has been held by Lebanese Hizballah since October 2000, as well as the remains of three Israeli soldiers, left for a German airbase in Cologne early on 29 January, as did an Israeli aircraft carrying 27 Arab prisoners. After the Israeli Defense Forces identified the remains of the three soldiers -- Beni Avraham, Adi Avitan, and Umar Suwayd -- Israel began releasing Palestinian prisoners and transferring the remains of Hizballah personnel.

This was effectively a bilateral deal, with Germany mediating between Israel and Hizballah, but Iran was involved, too. The extent of this involvement will probably always remain unclear -- Hizballah's long-standing practice of hostage taking is one of the murkier aspects of modern Mideast politics. It is noteworthy that an Iranian parliamentary delegation arrived in Beirut on 28 January to participate in ceremonies honoring the Lebanese returnees.

Tehran representative Hojatoleslam Ali Akbar Mohtashami-Pur, one of Hizballah's founders, headed the delegation, which included Tehran's Hojatoleslam Hadi Khamenei, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's brother, and Assadollah Kian-Ersi, a member of the Bakhtiari Islamic Association who represents an Isfahan Province constituency in the national parliament.

Germany and Israel confirmed on 24 January that Hizballah would exchange Tenenbaum and the soldiers' remains for 400 Palestinians and dozens of other Arabs who have been in Israeli detention. Moreover, Israel agreed to provide Hizballah with the remains of 50 combatants, provide information on 24 other combatants, and provide maps of minefields in southern Lebanon, "The Jerusalem Post" reported on 26 January.

Germany's Ernst Urlau, the mediator in this issue, touched on the Iranian aspect of the deal when he said on 24 January that Iran was helpful, Jerusalem's Channel 2 television reported. Urlau said he and the German government would create committees to investigate the cases of Ron Arad -- an Israeli Air Force officer whose aircraft went down over Lebanon in 1986 and who is believed to be in Iran -- and four missing Iranians -- Charge d'Affaires Seyyed Mohsen Musavi, diplomats Ahmad Motevaselian and Taqi Rastegar-Moghaddam, and IRNA photojournalist Kazem Akhavan -- who disappeared in Lebanon in 1982.

The creation of these committees is effectively the second phase of this process. In exchange for information on Arad, more Palestinians and Lebanese would be released, as would Samir al-Kuntar, who headed a Palestinian terrorist squad that killed a number of Israelis in 1979. German sources cited by "Ha'aretz" on 25 January and "The Jerusalem Post" one day later said that the release of an Iranian and two Lebanese imprisoned for murdering Iranian-Kurdish dissidents in Germany in 1992 might be part of this second phase.

Hizballah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah confirmed at a 25 January press conference an Iranian role in the prisoner-swap negotiations. "The Iranians did not complicate the process. The Iranian brothers could have said -- as a result of the close relationship they have with us and because there are four missing Iranians in Lebanon -- please brothers, do not proceed without the four Iranians. They did not say this." Al-Manar television reported that Nasrallah went on to say: "On the contrary, they said: Do whatever you see is appropriate, what makes the negotiation process easier, and what secures the release of the largest number of detainees. We have no problem. Our diplomats are like your sons and brothers, and whether you deal with them in the first stage or second stage, we have no problem. So the Iranians were helpful and cooperative."

Nasrallah also insisted that Arad is not in Iran. "The Israelis claim that Ron Arad is in Iran," he said. "I categorically deny this, based on my personal follow-up. Iran also denies this." He added, "I mean, Ron Arad is in Lebanon, and not in Iran or elsewhere."

Adding further detail was a 25 January analysis in "Ha'aretz" that cited anonymous German sources as saying that when the talks were at an impasse in November, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Hojatoleslam Hassan Rohani "encouraged" Hizballah to conclude the deal.

Top Iranian officials spoke approvingly of the prisoner exchange. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a 30 January letter to Nasrallah that this demonstrated Israel's vulnerability, IRNA and al-Manar television reported. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on 26 January hailed the exchange of prisoners as, in the words of state television, "a great victory for the resistance of Lebanese people and government." Kharrazi said he hopes this would determine the fate of the diplomats and ease the suffering of their families.

President Khatami, in a 29 January telephone conversation, congratulated his Lebanese counterpart, Emil Lahud, on the prisoner release, Iranian state radio reported the next day. Lahud thanked Iran for its support and reportedly hoped that the final status of four Iranian diplomats who disappeared in Lebanon in 1982 would become clear.

Mohammad Reza Dehqani, the Iranian charge d'affaires in Beirut, said in the 28 January issue of "Al-Mustaqbal" newspaper that an Iranian delegation will come to Lebanon soon to investigate the matter of the missing Iranian diplomats. "We believe they are still alive," he said. "Those who claim they are dead or martyred have to offer evidence and information to this effect."

Hizballah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah spoke about the missing Iranians on 29 January at Beirut's Seyyed Al-Shuhada Complex during a ceremony for the returnees, Al-Manar television reported. He reminded the families of the missing Iranian diplomats that they are a "Lebanese responsibility, because they were Lebanon's guests on its soil. They were abducted in Lebanon by Lebanese groups," he added, before shifting the blame to Israel. "These groups have turned them over to the Israeli enemy and Israel is responsible for revealing the fate of the four Iranian diplomats." (Bill Samii)

TEHRAN BANS ASIAN BIRDS IN FACE OF FLU. The Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO; http://www.ivo.org.ir/) on 27 January urged the country's chicken farmers not to import any poultry from countries affected by a lethal strain of the avian flu, IRNA reported. The IVO also said that neither returning Iranians nor visitors should import any birds, and it urged travelers to countries hit by the avian flu not to visit locations where birds are kept.

The flu strain -- H5N1 -- has been detected in Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, and weaker strains have appeared in Laos, Pakistan, and Taiwan, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

On 28 January, WHO urged these countries to aggressively cull poultry to prevent the spread of the disease to humans, "The Financial Times" reported on 29 January. WHO official Shigeru Omi said culling is the only way to eliminate this virus, to which humans have no known immunity. (Bill Samii)

Compiled by A. William Samii."

The new Iranian parliament and its new expectations

2004-11-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

Editorial June, 2000: "The new Iranian parliament and its new expectations

Editorial By: Dr. Ali Nourizadeh
At last the new session of the Iranian Majlis (parliament) began its work on Saturday, 27th of May. Among the high-ranking officials who attended the opening ceremony, Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani's presence was highly noticed-attending as a non-member of parliament. This was especially significant since as recently as two days prior to this he was one of the candidates for the job of Majlis speaker.

Rafsanjani's decision to bow out of parliament following allegations of election fraud did not help improve his battered image in the eyes of the Iranian public. It was significant that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not come to the defence of Rafsanjani, who has been under heavy fire from the reformers. This suggests that Khamenei would prefer the former president to be "in the shadow", at least for the time being.

Conservatives had looked to Rafsanjani, a veteran revolutionary cleric who was president from 1989 to 1997 and previously served two terms as parliament speaker, to mount a strong challenge for the post again and also to lead the conservatives' parliamentary bloc. His withdrawal has further weakened the conservatives' position in the new 290-seat parliament, in which the reformists hold a majority of the 259 plus seats that have so far been confirmed by the Guardian Council.

Although former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani never had a real chance of becoming speaker of Iran's new Majlis, his decision to withdraw from the incoming parliament will make it easier for reformists to elect one of their own as head of the legislature. Behzad Nabavi, an advisor to reformist President Mohammad Khatami, is the reformers' favourite candidate for the post, follwed by Dr. Mohsen Mirdamadi and Ayatollah Mehdi Karrubi. Karrubi. However, could prove "more acceptable" to the reformists' conservative rivals.

Nabavi, who heads the "Mujahedeen of the Islamic Revolution Organisation", came eighth in the Tehran race. Dr. Miradamadi is a Cambridge graduate and co-founder of the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), the leading reformist group headed by President Khatami's brother, Mohammadreza. Mirdamadi was also among the top ten vote getters in Tehran.

Leading reformists such as Mohammadreza Khatami and Alireza Nouri believe the time has come for the speakership to go to a layman, but if they cannot get their way, they would nominate Ayatollah Mehdi Karrubi, a cleric who has held the post in the past. Karrubi, who heads the Combatant Clerics Society to which President Khatami was affiliated, has good relations with Ayatollah Khamenei and some right-wing circles. His background and the fact that he is not as "anti-conservative" as Nabavi and Mirdamadi, would make him more acceptable or, to put it differently, "less provocative"- to the supreme leader and the conservative camp. And as we go to print Ayatollah Karrubi has been elected as temporary speaker of parliament for a few weeks, although he may be later on elected to the post for one year."

MEHDI KARRUBI ELECTED AS NEW MAJLES COMPROMISE SPEAKER

2004-11-23T12:18:00.000-08:00

MEHDI KARRUBI ELECTED AS NEW MAJLES COMPROMISE SPEAKER: "MEHDI KARRUBI ELECTED AS NEW MAJLES COMPROMISE SPEAKER

By Safa Haeri

PARIS 30TH May (ISP) As expected, Hojjatoleslam Medhi Karrubi, 63, was elected Tuesday as the interim Speaker of the sixth Majles (parliament) with 186 votes and 63 abstentions out of 251 present MPs who also made history as they elected for the first time a woman to the presiding Board of the 290-seats Assembly.

With the new Majles largely dominated by reformists who could easily elect Dr. Mohammad Reza Khatami, the leader of the Islamic Iran Participation Party (IIPP) or Mr. Behzad Nabavi, the Spokesman for the Second Khordad (23 May) Coalition Front (SKCF), the unopposed election of Mr. Karrubi was seen by analysts as a compromise reached between President Mohammad Khatami and Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the leader of the Islamic Republic to have the legislative presided over by a "mo'ammam" (cleric) instead that a "mokkalla" (civilian).

In fact, prior to the vote taking, both Dr. Khatami, who is the younger brother of the President, Mr. Nabavi and Mr. Hasan Mar'ashi, from the "Executive of Construction Party", a brother-in-law of the defeated Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, had withdrew their candidacies for the important post of Speaker.

Speaking to reporters following his elections as the Interim Speaker of the first reformist-dominated Legislative of the Islamic Republic, Mr. Karrubi, a former Speaker, pointed out that the new Majles would "go ahead with the principles of the Islamic Revolution and the path of reform".

He described the new 290-seat parliament as "complimentary to the 1997 presidential election in which the people voted for President Khatami's reforms program".

He rejected any split between the Majma'e Rohanioun Mobarez (MRM, or the Association of Militant Clergymen, an offshoot of the Majma'e Rohannyat Mobarez, the conservative-controlled Association of Combatant Clergymen) and the Islamic Iran Participation Party (IIPP) saying ''We all are friends''.

He was answering persistent speculations that the IIPP was insisting of having a non cleric as Speaker as a sign of changing times and rupture from the past, as all the fifth precedent Majles were presided over by conservatives clerics.

Dr. Sadeq Ziba Kalam, a professor of Political Sciences at Tehran University and a prominent political analyst said though the IIPP and the Second Khordadi would prefer a younger, more dynamic and progressive personality closer to theirs and Mr. Khatami's ideals and political views, yet they realised that under present circumstances and conditions, Mr. Karrubi is the only one who can also be accepted to the conservatives.

"However, the reformists insisted that the Speaker of this Majles they dominate should at least be their spokesman and defend their political platform, something that did not pleased Mr. Karrubi nor those who supports him, hence his observation that the Speaker "was not a spokesman, but one of the regime's most important personality who sits at the National Security Council and participates at important decision making meetings", he added.

In fact, if compared to his predecessor Hojjatoleslam Ali Akbar Nateq-Nuri or some other leading conservatives, Mr. Karrubi looks a progressive cleric, but put against Mr. Khatami, to the imprisoned Hojjatoleslam Abdollah Nuri, the former Interior Minister and Publisher of the banned "Khordad" daily Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Kadivar, who is also in prison, he is a traditionalist.

On the thorny question of co-operation between the Expediency Council and the conservatives-controlled Council of the Guardians with the reformist-dominated Majles, Mr. Karrubi hoped that the "unpleasant events" that marked the Majles election, "events that were bitter for all, be forget".

He was referring to the Guardians unexplained cancellation of electoral results in several constituencies and above all the three months-long manipulations of the results for the Capital in order to place Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani among the 30 elected candidates, making a mockery of the Tehrani voters who had dealt a most humiliating blow to the former president by not electing him.

The massive, shameful rigging in favour of the Chairman of the Expediency Council badly discredited the Guardians who, under heavy pressure from the public opinion, turned to the leader who, in turn, ordered them to validate the results.

Facing mounting threats and warning from the students in the one hand and becoming certain that he would never be elected as Speaker, Mr. Rafsanjani announced his resignation from the Majles seat the Council of Guardians had illegally provided him.

Considering the fact that the reformists have listed the abolition of several unpopular laws the last Majles had hastily approved, chief among them a new press law that limits severely the already limited press freedom or the one, initiated though by the Expediency Council forbidding legislators from investigating or examining all the administrations that are under the control of the leader, analysts forecasts head on clashes between the new Majles with the Council of Guardians, the body that must make sure that all laws approved by the Majles are in full conformity with Islamic Shari'a.

In case the two bodies could not reach understanding or compromise, the difference would have to go to the Expediency Council for final arbitration.

"This is here where in his capacity as the Chairman of Expediency Council, the vindictive Rafsanjani can have the reformist bite the earth", one analyst observed.

Asked whether the temporary presiding board elected to Majles on Tuesday will remain unchanged as the permanent presiding board, he reminded that experience has showed that it remains unchanged, and in case of possible change, it will be very few.

The temporary board is in charge of running the current affairs of the parliament and it's sessions until the credentials of two thirds of the deputies are confirmed and the permanent Board is elected.

In his address to the audience as the new interim Speaker, Mr. Karrubi called for a Majlis-government co-operation for the sake of solving "people's problems", as recommended by both the leader and the president in theiraddress to the new Majles that opened Saturday.

Mr. Majid Ansari, the leader of the reformist minority fraction in the last Majles and Mr. Abolqassem Sarhadizadeh, both deputies from Tehran belonging to the SKCF, were elected as the first and second temporary vice-speakers.

Ms Soheila Jelodarzadeh, the Spokeswoman for the Islamic Labour Party (ILP), a SKCF member, Mr. Nasser Khaleqi, Mr. Mohammad Qomi, Mr. Ali Shakouri-Rad, Mr. Esmail Jabbarzadeh and Jalal Jalalizadeh were elected as the interim secretaries.

Mr. Karrubi said election of a woman to the presiding board is an auspicious event adding that it indicated the insight of the Majlis.

"The appointment of Ms Jelodarzadeh, a textile engineer by profession, who secured 150 votes out of a total of 252 and became the first woman elected to a Majles presiding Board can pave the way for more active participation of women in parliament, particularly as a lever for the approval of more laws that could further raise their status", the official news agency IRNA commented.

A pioneer of the Islamic movement, Mr. Karrubi was a pupil of both Grand Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini and Hosseinali Montazeri.

He had been arrested several times and spent over four years in prison before the victory of the Islamic revolution of 1979.

A member of the executive Board of the conservative-based Majma-e Rohanioun-e Mobarez (Association of Combatant Clergymen), he joined Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Kho'einiha and some other reform seeking clerics to form the AMC, backing Mr. Khatami and the reform process.

Elected MP in the first, second and third Majles to which he became Speaker, Hojatoleslam Karrubi founded and directed the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee in Tehran in 1979 and was appointed as Chairman of the Martyrs Foundation from 1980-1993

He holds a BA in divinity and philosophy from Tehran University and has completed seminary studies up to the level of "ijtihad", or a learned person in Islamic jurisprudence. ENDS KARRUBI SPEAKER 30500 "

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Profile: Mehdi Karrubi - Possible presidential candidate in 2005

2004-11-23T12:13:00.000-08:00

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Profile: Mehdi Karrubi: "Profile: Mehdi Karrubi

Karrubi: Possible presidential candidate in 2005
Mehdi Karrubi was elected speaker of Iran's reformist-dominated parliament in May 2000. On leaving office in May 2004, he defended the right of deputies to become involved in political issues. And he urged the new conservative-led parliament to cooperate with the government.
He is a noted reformist and ally of President Khatami. Supporters hoped he would prevail against the conservative faction in parliament and "sell" reforms to the Guardian Council.

But Mr Karrubi is highly regarded and trusted in the conservative camp as well. His personal ties with figures across the political spectrum, going back to the revolution, have given him credibility as a mediator.

He attempted to resolve disputes between parliament and the other branches of power. In August 2001 he proposed a committee to arbitrate in a row between parliament and the judiciary over appointments to the Guardian Council.

In 2003, he intervened in a standoff between the Majlis and the Guardian Council over twin bills proposed by President Khatami.

Mediator

The bills, aimed at boosting presidential power and curbing the role of the Guardian Council, were overwhelmingly approved by parliament in April 2003, but rejected by the Council as unconstitutional in May.

"I believe that this problem must be resolved," he said in May 2003, according to the state-owned news agency. "Our policy and efforts are aimed at resolving this issue through understanding."

Mr Karrubi has been seen as a possible presidential candidate in the 2005 elections.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages."