Khatami Warns Hard0liners in Iran New Year Message
Published:
21 March 2001 y., Wednesday
Iran's embattled President Mohammad Khatami warned his hard-line opponents Tuesday they faced an "ill-fated" future for ignoring popular demand for reforms.
In a pensive Iranian New Year address, interspersed with classical Persian poetry, Khatami described his four years in office as arduous -- in reference to his uphill battle against hard-liners to implement an Islamic democracy in Iran.
The president is nearing the end of his term, but is yet to announce his intention to seek re-election in June polls.
"Our people demand security along with freedom, pluralism along with piety," Khatami said.
Hard-liners, who dominate the armed forces and security services as well as the judiciary, have all but suppressed Khatami's social and political reforms, launched after his 1997landslide election.
Many reformist activists, including top allies of the president, have been imprisoned and dozens of independent newspapers have been banned.
Šaltinis:
dailynews.netscape.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza are married, but in Malawi homosexuality is banned.
more »
The World Bank today launched the fourth book in the critically acclaimed Moving Out of Poverty series, which provides bottom up perspectives on poverty and local realities by over 60,000 people living in 500 communities in 15 countries.
more »
Ten years ago, European leaders pledged to end poverty in the EU by 2010. As this deadline approaches, the goal is still some way off.
more »
For many 2009 will be a historic year with the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the outcome of the Copenhagen summit and the inauguration of the first black US president.
more »
Not answering the phone, celebrating Hogmanay and reading Dickens' Christmas Carol are just three seasonal traditions that MEPs shared with us.
more »
More and more people make their homes and own property in EU countries other than the one in which they hold citizenship.
more »
European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek has made an televised Christmas and New Year address to European citizens, looking ahead to the challenges of the coming year.
more »
Lithuania takes the 1st position in the EU by the number of students in the country.
more »
Sergei Kovalev, former political prisoner turned activist for Russian human rights group Memorial gave an emotional and heartfelt address to the European Parliament on Wednesday 16 December.
more »
Strengthened passenger rights for travel by bus are an important item on the agenda when the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (TTE) meets on 17–18 December.
more »