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| Axis of Evil |
| Iranian Hardliner Decries Reform Plans |
| 2002-12-23 |
| President Mohammad Khatami and his reformist camp will be "demolished" if they insist on two proposed bills seeking more presidential powers, a hardline cleric said in remarks published Monday. Mohammad Reza Faker said Khatami's proposed bills sought to bring "chaos," the government-run Persian-language daily Iran reported Monday. "Be certain that Mr. Khatami and his clique will be demolished because Islam is more powerful and God supports this revolution," Faker, of the Qom Seminary, was quoted by the paper as saying. "The president wants to impose dictatorship, albeit a decorated one." "And you know how people hate changing dictatorships..." Iran's reformist-dominated parliament has already approved one of the bills Faker criticized, which bars the conservative Guardian Council from arbitrarily disqualifying candidates in elections. The other piece of legislation, which allows the president to check the powers of unelected institutions such as police and judiciary, is also expected to win the support of the 290-seat majlis. Oh, horrors! Those poor theocrats! How will they ever cope? Both bills need to be approved by the Guardian Council itself to become laws. If rejected by the council, they would be sent to the Expediency Council — a conservative body that arbitrates between the Parliament and the Guardian Council — for a final decision. So figure the odds on them ever being approved. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |