January 2004
Interior Minister of the Islamic Republic: There is no chance for holding legitimate elections
The Interior Minister has declared that the disqualification of reformist candidates by the Guardian Council undermines the legitimacy of upcoming elections. President Khatami's negotiations with…
Iran's Interior Minister Requests Delay of Parliamentary Elections
Iran's Interior Minister has requested a delay in parliamentary elections due to the disqualification of thousands of candidates, but the Guardian Council has rejected this…
Under the Microscope: The Guardian Council's Approach to Ongoing Sit-ins - 2004-01-29
Dr. Alireza Noori Zadeh analyzes the Guardian Council's response to ongoing sit-ins and the support expressed by various groups and officials for the protesters. This…
Iranian Governors Call for Delay in Parliamentary Elections
Iranian governors are urging a postponement of parliamentary elections due to concerns over fairness after the disqualification of many reformist candidates. This situation has led…
Guardian Council Approves 600 Candidates for Parliamentary Elections
The Guardian Council has approved 600 candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections, amidst widespread disqualifications. Reformist President Mohammad Khatami condemned the disqualifications and called for…
Rejection of the Election Law Bill by the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran
The Guardian Council has rejected a bill concerning election laws, causing speculation about the upcoming elections on February 20. This decision has sparked reactions within…
Mohammad Khatami Hopes All Representatives Will Be Approved
President Mohammad Khatami expressed hope that all unfairly disqualified candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections will be approved. The Guardian Council has disqualified a significant…
Agreement Between Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Mohammad Khatami to Resolve Crisis from Candidate Disqualifications - 2004-01-27
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mohammad Khatami have reached an agreement to address the political crisis caused by the disqualification of over 3,000 reformist candidates.…
IRNA: Mohammad Khatami Did Not Accept Resignations of Government Officials - 2004-01-27
President Mohammad Khatami rejected the resignations of several senior officials who protested the disqualification of thousands of candidates for upcoming elections. This situation highlights tensions…
Under the Microscope: Rejection of the Urgent Three-Article Bill by the Guardian Council
The Guardian Council has rejected an urgent three-article bill proposed by the Iranian Parliament. Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh discusses this rejection and comments on U.S. Vice…
Iran's Parliament Approves Changes to Public Election Law - 2004-01-25
Iran's Parliament has passed amendments to the election law that limit the Guardian Council's ability to disqualify candidates, particularly targeting reformists. This change comes after…
Israeli Soldiers Kill Two Palestinians Near Security Fence Separating Gaza from Israel - 2004-01-24
Israeli soldiers shot and killed two unarmed Palestinians near the Gaza-Israel security fence, claiming they were preparing for an attack. The incident highlights ongoing tensions…
Under the Microscope: European Officials' Concerns About the Electoral Situation in Iran - 2004-01-23
European officials are expressing concerns regarding the electoral situation in Iran, particularly in light of recent meetings with Iranian officials and statements made by Ahmad…
Jannati: The Guardian Council Follows the Guidelines of Ayatollah Khamenei
Ahmad Jannati, a member of Iran's Guardian Council, stated that the council aims to rectify any potential errors in disqualifying parliamentary candidates. He emphasized that…
Attack by Hardliners on Reformists' Gathering in Hamedan - 2004-01-22
A gathering of reformists in Hamedan was violently disrupted by hardliners from the Ansar Hezbollah group, resulting in injuries among attendees, including reformist lawmakers. The…
Khatami: Iran Has Never Sought to Acquire Weapons of Mass Destruction - 2004-01-22
Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the Iranian President, asserted that Iran has never sought weapons of mass destruction during an interview at the World Economic Forum in…
Review of Candidate Disqualifications
The Guardian Council is reviewing its earlier decision to disqualify more than 4,000 candidates for parliamentary elections. This reconsideration could significantly impact the electoral landscape…
Kofi Annan's Hope for Free Elections in Iran - 2004-01-21
Kofi Annan expressed optimism about the possibility of free elections in Iran, urging both conservatives and reformists to overcome their differences. This statement comes in…
In the country's political crisis, several Iranian government officials have resigned - 2004-01-21
Several Iranian government officials, including the Vice President, have resigned amid a political crisis following the Guardian Council's decision to accept some disqualified candidates for…
Guardian Council Approves Qualifications of About 200 Rejected Candidates
The Guardian Council has reinstated the qualifications of around 200 candidates previously disqualified from the parliamentary elections, following a directive from Ayatollah Khamenei. This decision…
Mohammad Khatami's Political Party Threatens to Boycott Parliamentary Elections
Mohammad Khatami's political party threatens to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections unless the ban on reformist candidates is lifted. The Guardian Council has disqualified a…
Guardian Council: We Have Begun Reviewing the Cases of Disqualified Candidates
The Guardian Council has started reviewing the cases of candidates disqualified for the upcoming parliamentary elections due to protests from various officials and groups. The…
Head of Parliamentary Election Organizing Committee in Iran Threatens Resignation
The head of the election organizing committee in Iran has threatened to resign if candidate bans are not lifted, amid a political crisis following the…
Kayhan's Indifference to Khamenei - 2004-01-15
The conservative newspaper Kayhan has downplayed Ali Khamenei's recent remarks about the disqualification of election candidates, marking a shift in its usual practice of prominently…
Continuation of Sit-in by Reformist Members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly
Reformist members of the Iranian parliament are continuing their sit-in until they can ensure free and fair elections. They welcomed a directive from Ayatollah Khamenei…
Qom Students: We Will Resolve the Situation of the Sit-in Representatives!
A group of Qom seminary students and teachers gathered to demand action against sit-in representatives in parliament. They threaten to travel to Tehran if the…
Khamenei: The Guardian Council Should Reconsider!
Ayatollah Khamenei has urged the Guardian Council to reconsider its mass disqualification of reformist candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections, emphasizing the need for a…
Under the Microscope: The Strategy of Iranian Reformists - 2004-01-15
Dr. Alireza Noori Zadeh discusses the strategies of Iranian reformists who have been disqualified by the Guardian Council and comments on Iraq's electoral positions. This…
Islamic Republic State Television: Ayatollah Khamenei has asked the Guardian Council to reconsider its decision
Ayatollah Khamenei has urged the Guardian Council to review its disqualification of reformist candidates, which has led to a political crisis in Iran. The Guardian…
Guardian Council: We Will Not Surrender to Pressure
The Guardian Council of Iran has refused to reconsider its disqualification of thousands of reformist candidates for the parliamentary elections, asserting its legal and religious…
Under the Microscope: Meeting of Iranian Governors with Ayatollah Khamenei - 2004-01-13
Iranian governors met with Ayatollah Khamenei to protest the Guardian Council's disqualification of numerous parliamentary candidates. Dr. Ali Reza Nourizadeh analyzes this meeting, highlighting its…
Protests by Parliament Representatives as a Clear Example of Election Boycott and Demand for Referendum - 2004-01-13
Islamic Parliament representatives protested against the disqualification of some members by the Guardian Council, leading to calls for an election boycott and a referendum. This…
Dozens of Members of the Iranian Government Threaten to Resign
Dozens of Iranian government officials, including ministers and advisors, have threatened to resign over the disqualification of reformist candidates from parliamentary elections. The Vice President…
Under the Microscope: Disqualification of Candidates for the Islamic Consultative Assembly
Dr. Alireza Noori Zadeh discusses the extensive disqualification of candidates for Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly by the Guardian Council and how this has been reported…
Khamenei Does Not Intervene in Guardian Council's Decision to Disqualify Candidates - 2004-01-12
Ayatollah Khamenei has refused to intervene in the Guardian Council's decision to disqualify reformist candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections, stating that legal procedures must…
Threat of Resignation by Iranian Governors - 2004-01-12
Governors in Iran have threatened to resign if the disqualification of 80 reformist lawmakers is not reconsidered. This situation arises from the Guardian Council's decision,…
Guardian Council Rejects Qualifications of Many Reformist Parliamentarians for Next Month's Elections
The Guardian Council has disqualified many reformist parliament members from the upcoming elections, leading to protests in parliament. President Mohammad Khatami has urged calm and…
Journalistic Scandal at USA Today - 2004-01-09
Jack Kelly, a veteran journalist at USA Today, resigned after being accused of submitting false reports over his twenty-one-year career. The scandal follows a previous…
Death of 10,000 Students and Destruction of 90% of Schools in Bam - 2004-01-03
A devastating earthquake in Bam resulted in the deaths of approximately 10,000 students and teachers, with 90% of schools destroyed. The Iranian Ministry of Education…