Mohammad Khatami Criticizes Guardian Council's Vote

Mohammad Khatami, the President of Iran, has criticized the Guardian Council, a conservative body of the Islamic Republic, for vetoing a law aimed at expanding the powers of the presidency. Khatami stated that the proposed changes by the Guardian Council to the discussed bill, which seeks to limit the president's authority, are unacceptable. He argued that the Guardian Council restricts the president's powers to such an extent that in some respects, they are even more limited than those of an ordinary citizen. One of the bills passed by the parliament aims to delegate authority to the president so that he can prevent the closure of reformist newspapers and the judicial prosecution of reformist activists. Another bill seeks to prevent the Guardian Council from disqualifying election candidates. Recent developments are part of the power struggle between the regime's conservatives and reformists, which has been a defining feature of Khatami's presidency. Conservatives have exploited their dominance over various government institutions to obstruct Khatami's desired reforms since his election in 1997. Khatami had promised to expand civil liberties in Iran. Conservatives insist that their opposition to reforms is to uphold the principles of the Islamic Revolution.