National News Iran leaders threaten to quit in vote feud over restriction by ruling clerics

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TEHRAN (AP) - Iran's 27 governors threatened Jan. 13 to resign unless ruling clerics reverse a decision barring thousands of pro-reform candidates from elections, while the reformist president suggested he too may walk out.

President Mohammad Khatami, meeting with the governors, condemned the Guardian Council's decision to bar more than 3,000 candidates from taking part in Feb. 20 elections. About 8,200 people filed papers to run for the 290-seat legislature.

The ban includes some 80 sitting lawmakers, and legislators say all of them are reformist. State broadcast media, which are controlled by hardliners, say the candidates lacked "the necessary legal qualifications."

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has pledged to intervene if nothing is resolved, but has urged complainants to use legal channels to pursue their case. Disqualified candidates have the right to appeal.

Several reformist lawmakers blamed Khamenei himself for the disqualifications by the council, an unelected constitutional watchdog.

"Guardian Council members are hand-picked by him (Khamenei). It's not logical to think council members make decisions without their leader's support," said one of the legislators barred from running again.

イランで27知事が辞職示唆

イランの国会選挙をめぐり、護憲評議会による事前調査で、改革派の候補者3,000人以上の出馬が認められなかった問題で13日、知事27人が、同評議会が「失格」の決定を取り消さなければ辞任すると表明した。

Shukan ST: Jan. 23, 2004

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