Iran's reformist-dominated parliament approved a bill Sunday labeled "triple-urgent" that seeks to turn over the disqualification of thousands of hopefuls in the February 20 parliamentary election.
It was the first time since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution
that the parliament has approved a triple-urgency bill -
the highest designation of importance.
The bill seeks to amend the national Elections Law and
force the Guardian Council, which oversees elections, to
allow all lawmakers or candidates approved in past
elections to run for office unless strong legal
documentation proves them "unfit".
The electoral vetting arm of the Guardians Council had recently disqualified 3,605 of the 8,157 people seeking to stand in the polls. Most on the "blacklist" were reformers, among them some 83 incumbent parliament members and some of the reform movement's most leading figures.
Additionally, the bill requires the Guardian Council to approve anyone seeking office who has been deemed loyal to Islam and the ruling Islamic establishment by local trustees. That clause was aimed at eliminating politically motivated disqualifications.
The measure was approved during an open session of
parliament, aired live on Tehran radio. The speaker asked those in favor to stand, then declared it passed. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
