Iranian President Mohammad Khatami told his hard-line opponents Sunday that unelected institutions, not an elected president, threaten to bring dictatorship to the country. "A president who is elected by the direct vote of the people and according to the constitution has to respond to the nation, the parliament and the supreme leader, and can't bring dictatorship," he said in a speech to parliament.
The Iranian leader hit back at the critics of his recently-tabled bills on the Islamic Republic's head of state's executive powers and pledged to push ahead with his demands in the face of "threats and pressures."
"The government will stay on the track and will never give in to threats and pressures to quit its decision to defend people's rights and their legitimate freedom and to pave the way for better implementation of their rights to decide their own fate," he said.
"Only dictators fear democracy ... I'm very happy that those who say the bill promotes dictatorship are people who are widely suspected of rejecting democracy," he said.
Khatami's bill, submitted last month, stipulates that if the president deems a decision from an institution such as the judiciary to be a violation of the constitution, he can issue a warning to the head of that institution. If the official ignores the warning, he or she could be suspended from the civil service for up to one year. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
