Reformers, conservatives lock horns

By Kesava Menon

MANAMA (BAHRAIN), AUG. 5. The speed at which a constitutional crisis has erupted in Iran, with the Supreme Religious Leader, Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, delaying the President, Mr. Syed Mohammed Khatami's formal inauguration till the issue is sorted out, was unexpected. Both leaders had indicated that they were on a collision course when Ayatollah Khamenei endorsed Mr. Khatami's election late last week. But that the Khatami-led reformers and the conservatives who take inspiration from Ayatollah Khamenei would lock horns so fast is something rare in Iranian politics.

After Ayatollah Khamenei had endorsed Mr. Khatami's election it should have been assumed that the formal ceremony to mark the inauguration of the latter's second and last term in office would follow as a matter of course. But Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered a delay of the ceremony till a dispute between the reform- dominated Parliament and the conservative-controlled judiciary is resolved. The dispute pertains to the election of three members to the Council of Guardians, a constitutional body that has over- riding control over Parliament to see that its decrees conform to the religious order.

Under the Constitution, the membership of the Guardians' Council is so skewed that it ensures a conservative dominance. Half of the Guardians' 12 members are nominated by the Supreme Leader and the other six selected from a list of legal experts drawn up by the judiciary. At present, there are three vacancies in the latter group of Guardians and the judiciary had forwarded a short-list to Parliament. Reformers who dominate Parliament approved only one of the three names originally proposed and the judiciary thereafter put forward two fresh nominees. These nominations were also rejected.

Ayatollah Khamenei has relied on what appears a very formalistic clause of the Constitution to delay Mr. Khatami's inauguration. As per this clause, certain personalities, including a fully- formed Guardians' Council, must be present at the inauguration ceremony. Since there is no full Guardians' Council there can be no ceremony either.

Given the importance of an early inauguration of the new Presidential term (he constitutes the Cabinet) this delay is clearly not on account of a need to fulfill all technical niceties. A clear message is being sent to the reformers that their attempt to re-cast what has so far been a very obdurate Guardians' Council will be resisted with all the power at the clerical establishments' command.

Today, the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr. Mehdi Karrubi, proposed a compromise whereby a joint panel of parliamentarians and members of the judiciary would draw up a fresh set of nominees. The judiciary has rejected this proposal.

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Section  : International
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