Iranian students were urged to maintain calm ahead of June parliamentary elections, reported the Iranian News Agency (IRNA).
Iran’s parliamentary vice-speaker Mohammad-Reza
Khatami urged them to avoid a trap set by conservatives to engage reformists in violent acts.
"Reformists should not play the act, devised by opponents of reforms," he said at a meeting to mark the anniversary of the establishment of the Islamic students association of the Tehran University Monday.
"In the current situation, maintaining calm in order to keep up reforms as the sole choice for the society's salvation is necessary," he added.
Meanwhile, Behzad Nabavi, the second parliamentary vice-speaker said that conservative backlashes had forced President Khatami to doubt his steps to seek a re-election in the June elections, according to IRNA.
"As far as we know, Khatami has many reasons why not to accept the crucial post of presidency," he said.
Repeated crises, churned by his rivals, have led to
Khatami's doubts and his unhappiness with (the unsuccess of his) ideals of establishing a rule of law and civic society, he added.
"Khatami thinks that he has failed to correctly live up to his promises and meet people's demands. Thus, he is asking himself 'why should I stay?'" he added.
President Khatami's reform programs and named after his victory in May 23, 1997, has been the main target of conservative attacks, with Mostafa Tajzadeh, deputy interior minister being the latest victim, IRNA said.
Tajzadeh, also the head of the office to supervise presidential elections, received a one year sentence on charges of ballot-rigging in last year's parliamentary elections.
The minister is free pending an appeal against the sentence which he can file within 20 days.
Ayatollah (his given name) Azarmi, Tehran governor and an assistant to Tajzadeh, was also convicted on similar charges and sentenced to a year-and-a-half in prison and three years and nine months suspension from civil service.
Another key ally of Khatami, former minister of culture and Islamic guidance, Ataollah Mohajerani, had to resign his post under mounting pressures.
According to the agency, Khatami himself has yet to announce his candidacy amid pressures from allies to do so.
He has come in public to confess that he lacks the adequate prerogative to make good on many of his promises.
Courts have jailed many of his supporters, among them journalists, and closed down dozens of newspapers on charges of outraging certain unwritten political propriety codes – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
