Threat of Resignation by Iranian Governors - 2004-01-12

Governors across Iran have warned President Mohammad Khatami in a letter that they will resign from their positions within a week if the disqualification of 80 reformist lawmakers from the Islamic Consultative Assembly is not reconsidered. On Sunday, senior Iranian government officials confirmed that 27 governors issued this threat in a letter addressed to the reformist president. The letter was sent in response to the announcement by the Guardian Council, a non-elected body controlled by conservative clerics, regarding the disqualification of 80 reformist members of the current parliament from participating in the elections scheduled for February 19. Four years ago, in the 290-member parliamentary elections, reformists had emerged victorious, but the conservative Guardian Council has the authority to invalidate parliamentary decisions. Following the announcement on Sunday, while parliamentary leaders condemned the disqualification decision, a large number of representatives staged a sit-in protest inside the parliament building. This morning, President Mohammad Khatami called for calm and stated that he would seek legal means to overturn the disqualification. He is expected to discuss this issue with the Guardian Council in the near future. Among those disqualified is Mohammad Reza Khatami, the president's brother, who leads the largest reformist group, the Islamic Participation Front. According to reports, the Guardian Council has so far disqualified more than a quarter of the 8,000 candidates for the upcoming elections. Some parties have threatened to boycott the elections if a large number of candidates are disqualified.