Reformists prepare for defeat

16 February 2004
Reformists admit they have little chance of success in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, due to take place on 20 February. Mehdi Karoubi, a cleric close to President Khatami, said that despite the outcome of the polls, however, the reformist movement will continue. More than 2,500 mainly pro-reform candidates were in January disqualified from standing by the hardline Guardian Council (MEED 10:2:04). Khatami's Association of Combattant Clerics recently announced that it will be taking part despite the bans.

'We consider these elections to be unfair, but have decided to take part because our participation is more productive than our absence,' Karoubi said. 'If we get or do not get votes, we will continue our activities. The future of reforms depends on the people, and they will continue through different means.'

Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour of the Reformist Coalition for Iran insists that even to win one of the 290 seats that are being fought over would be a victory for the reformists. 'We will be a minority in parliament,' he said. 'There is such a disproportion, and the conservatives have mobilised far more means than us - so even if we have just one seat, we will have a victory and will have foiled the plans of the conservatives,' he said.

Although he had been cleared to run for election, Mohtashamipour is one of an estimated 550 candidates who voluntarily pulled out of the polls on 14 February in protest.

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