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Prayer Time (Tehran)
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Dawn: 4:11
Sunrise: 5:52
Noon: 13:01
Evening: 20:31
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Weather Guide
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WED |
THU |
Tehran: |
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High: |
27oC |
28oC |
Low: |
18oC |
18oC |
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Athens |
23 |
22 |
Ankara |
18 |
18 |
Paris |
22 |
20 |
New Delhi |
41 |
41 |
Rome |
26 |
27 |
Riyadh |
41 |
41 |
Frankfurt |
22 |
27 |
Cairo |
31 |
35 |
Kuwait City |
38 |
40 |
Karachi |
39 |
36 |
Copenhagen |
17 |
22 |
London |
22 |
22 |
Moscow |
28 |
22 |
Madrid |
33 |
35 |
Vienna |
22 |
25 |
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Identification
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Published by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)
Address:
Iran Cultural & Press Institute, #212 Khorramshahr Avenue Tehran/Iran
Managing Director: Mohammad T. Roghaniha
Executive Editor: Amin Sabooni
Editorial Dept. Tel: 8755761-2
Editorial Dept. Fax: 8761869
Advertising Dept. Tel: 8753119, 8757702, 8733764
Internet Address:
www.iran-daily.com
E-mail Address:
iran-daily@iran-daily.com
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Ayatollah Khamenei:
Great Lesson in Khorramshahr Liberation
TEHRAN, May 24--Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday the liberation of Khorramshahr in 1982 carried a great lesson for the nation and the same should be pursued in every other field, including the presidential election.
In a meeting with 1,000 family members of martyrs to mark the anniversary of Khorramshahr’s liberation, the leader elaborated that the event taught us that faith, good deeds, solidarity and efforts lead to victory in all fields, IRNA reported.
“The June 17 election is a field for demonstrating national solidarity,“ he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei recalled the pre-revolution era when the Iranian nation was deprived of real elections and said free and fair elections are the outcome of the Islamic Revolution.
“We should thank God for such a blessing and appreciate free and fair elections through our active participation,“ he said.
The leader said such a democracy was not available throughout the reign of Pahlavi regime and even during the premiership of (Mohammad) Mosaddeq who some believe established democracy “whereas during his term in office the parliament was closed for one year“.
Ayatollah Khamenei said American endeavors to restore the same black dictatorship to Iran in a modern form, but the Iranian nation will disappoint it through their active presence on the scene.
He advised presidential candidates to observe the principle of brotherhood in the election campaign and avoid discord or tension.
The leader called on reporters and mass media to contribute to the atmosphere of amity and cooperation, and avoid sowing discord among presidential contenders.
Ayatollah Khamenei said former governments have records of service and the upcoming government is expected to make the fruits of efforts made by its predecessors known to the public in a tangible manner.
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President Dedicates Gifts to the Nation
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President Mohammad Khatami tours the museum displaying souvenirs gifted to him during his tenure, in Sadabad Complex, May 24. (Fars Photo)
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TEHRAN, May 24--President Mohammad Khatami said on Tuesday whatever he owns belong to the people of Iran.
Speaking during the inauguration of the museum displaying souvenirs gifted to the president, he said, “Not only the items in the museum, but also my thoughts and capabilities will be at the service of the glorious nation of Iran and for the endurance of religious democracy.“
Khatami further said the items in the museum do not represent respect for a particular person but rather respect for a nation that has created many epics throughout history.
“These items are national assets and not my personal property,“ he said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Khatami recalled that pursuit of dŽtente for having improved relations between Iran and the rest of the world.
Expressing hope that the international community would place more trust in the Islamic system, the chief executive observed, “Our officials wish to uphold the dignity of the citizens and this spirit of trust must be fortified and ensure increased glory of Iranians on the international scene.“
Late on Monday, Khatami issued a communiquŽ that included guidelines for organs and officials aimed at organizing a sound presidential election.
In the prelude to his guidelines, the president stressed the importance of the people’s massive presence in the polls under the current tough conditions with which the country is entangled, and in order to strengthen the foundations of religious democracy, security and the country’s advancement.
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Khatami’s Macroeconomic Performance Outlined
By Farzaneh Shokri
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Safdar Hosseini
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TEHRAN, May 24--Minister of Economy Safdar Hosseini on Tuesday presented a report on the macroeconomic performance of President Mohammad Khatami administration in the past eight years.
Addressing a press conference, Hosseini said the gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 291.769 trillion rials in 1997 to 397.304 trillion rials in 2004, which indicates the country’s economic growth rate amounted to an average of 4.32 percent per annum.
“Of course, due to the serious reduction of oil revenues and the phenomenon of drought, the economic growth rate in 1997 was low and this factor is in a way responsible for the rather low economic growth rate in the past eight years. This is while the average economic growth rate during the Third Development Plan (2000-5) reached 5.4 percent, which is close to the quantitative objectives of this plan,“ he said.
The minister also noted that per capita income stood at 4.018 million rials in 1997 and reached 5.506 million rials in 2004, showing an increase of 4 percent in the last eight years.
Commenting on hard currency revenues during 1997-2004, including revenues from the sale of oil and gas and non-oil exports, he said, “The figure was $18.4 billion in 1997 and reached $42.9 billion in 2004.“
Hosseini also noted that non-oil exports increased from $2.9 billion in 1997 to $7.6 billion in 2004, which marks a 162-percent increase.
Asked about the reason behind Guardians Council’s rejection of the money laundering bill which was ratified by the parliament, Hosseini said, “As the minister of economy and finance, I have on several occasions warned related officials about this situation and even told the heads of the three branches of power to help remove the ambiguities raised by the GC regarding the money laundering bill.“
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Moin, Mehralizadeh Qualified Upon Leader’s Order
TEHRAN, May 24--Guardians Council on Tuesday gave disqualified Mostafa Moin and Mohsen Mehralizadeh the green light to participate in the June 17 presidential election.
The change was made in response to an order from leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, IRNA reported.
Secretary of Guardians Council, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, in a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei, wrote, “As you consider it desirable that all people from different interest groups have the opportunity of participating (in the presidential election), the GC recognizes the competence of Mr Moin and Mr Mehralizadeh.“
The GC had earlier approved the candidacy of only six, mostly conservative, aspirants and disqualified Mostafa Moin, the reformist former minister of higher education, and Mohsen Mehralizadeh, another reformist vice president.
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Religious Authorities Forbid Smoking
TEHRAN, May 24--Ayatollah Nasser Makarem-Shirazi on Tuesday said smoking cigarettes is unlawful, which injunction applies to those who follow his religious guidelines.
According to Fars News Agency, the ayatollah noted, “A few years ago, I issued a conditional decree about tobacco consumption. In the book on Islamic jurisprudential regulations, it is mentioned that if using tobacco is considered harmful by experts, it is forbidden. However, recently physicians and university professors have presented shocking statistics on the death toll and fatal diseases resulting from tobacco consumption and now it is hundred percent clear that using tobacco is dangerous. Even the children of those who smoke cigarettes and the people near them are not immune from the dangers of smoking. Therefore, now I have issued an absolute decree banning smoking. I want God Almighty to help protect the youth who are the primary victims of smoking.“
Meanwhile, Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Behjat said if experts raise fears about the consequences of smoking, then it is unlawful.
Ayatollah Hossein Nouri-Hamedani also said that using tobacco is absolutely unlawful.
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50% Chance of Success in EU Talks
BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 24--Iran warned Tuesday that there was only a 50-percent chance of success in crunch nuclear talks with European Union negotiators this week, aimed at avoiding an escalation of Tehran’s standoff with the West.
Speaking after official-level talks to prepare for formal negotiations in Geneva on Wednesday, a top Iranian official was blunt about the difficulties, AFP reported.
“We are at the most difficult part of the negotiation,“ said Hossein Mousavian after the closed-door Brussels talks. “(There) is a 50-50 percent chance of success...of reaching a compromise between the two sides. We have had some steps forwards, but we have a lot to go.“
The 25-nation EU has warned that it could refer Iran to the UN Security Council--and into Washington’s diplomatic line of fire--if the talks fail.
“Nobody wants a crisis on our side. We want the talks to continue,“ said one EU diplomat, ahead of Wednesday’s Geneva negotiations led on the EU-side by the trio’s foreign ministers plus EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.
But even as the talks started Iran’s Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi renewed pressure on the European side by demanding that it come up with ’positive’ proposals.
The so-called EU-3, representing the full 25-member EU, called for talks after a series of recent threats from Tehran to resume key nuclear activities, in breach of an accord to suspend them last November.
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Egypt Poll Facing Boycott Threat
CAIRO, Egypt, May 24--Egypt holds a crucial referendum Wednesday on plans to hold multi-candidate presidential elections for the first time, with political tension running high over a wave of opposition arrests and calls for a boycott.
Pro-reform groups have called on supporters to stage nationwide protests on Wednesday as Egypt’s 32.5 million registered voters are called on to decide whether to back the controversial new electoral system, AFP reported.
The government of veteran President Hosni Mubarak says the constitutional change adopted by parliament two weeks ago is a step towards reform in a country still operating under a 24-year-old state of emergency. Critics complain that the new law severely restricts independent candidates and overwhelmingly favors the ruling NDP of Mubarak, who in recent months has faced an unprecedented wave of pro-reform protests and calls to step down.
Several parties failed Monday in a legal challenge to try to halt the referendum and the increasingly vocal opposition groups--whether Islamist or secular--have called on their followers to boycott the vote.
Mubarak, who has been in power since 1981, has said he will decide whether to run for a fifth six-year term after the referendum.
Since a 1952 coup which toppled the monarchy, all three Egyptian presidents have been nominated by a two-thirds majority of parliament--overwhelmingly dominated by the NDP--and then elected unopposed by referendum.
“A low turnout would be a failure for the regime,“ added Hassan Nafae, a political analyst in Cairo.
Egypt’s opposition includes the centrist party Wafd, the Nasserist/Marxist Tagamoo party, the socialist Nasserist Party, the center-right Al Ghad party and the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.
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Introspection Time
By Amin Sabooni
It so happened that Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei had to again intervene directly in removing the sting out of the controversial decision by the Guardians Council (GC) to disqualify two prominent presidential hopefuls.
Even though the leader did not openly censure the powerful Guardians in his open letter of Monday, it is abundantly clear that the performance of the 12-member leaves much to be desired.
That the GC found Mostafa Moin, Mohsen Mehralizadeh and some other key contestants unfit for the job was not a bolt from the blue. Analysts, experts, senior officials of state and government, the print media, student groups, political activists and dissidents inside the country had over the past weeks voiced serious concerns over the gathering storm.
What is indeed strange is that the Guardians stubbornly decided to stick to their guns and once again demonstrated terribly well that theirs is the most superior interpretation of Article 99 of the Constitution.
Article 99 says: The Guardians Council has the responsibility of supervising the elections of the Assembly of Experts for the Leadership, the President of the Republic, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and the direct recourse to popular opinion and referenda.
The law being pretty vague on the exact authority and unlimited power of the GC is not the subject of this write up. Needless to say, in a May 1991 ruling on the key article, the council gave itself the liberty of having the last word on the credentials of all Iranians seeking public office. Who can, and must, have the final word on the contentious vetting decisions of the council remains abundantly unclear.
This week’s dispute over the authenticity of Islamic credentials and other qualifications of moderates seeking the presidential office is yet another reminder that there is no shortage of things in Iran that need to be fixed. The latest debate, which will obviously affect voter turnout on June 17, seems to have opened the floodgates.
Neglect is slowly but steadily becoming a close ally of some institutions and power centers that have a mandate to move the country forward with wisdom and solve its problems. Unfortunately these same enclaves are going downhill and developing a reality problem, not to mention that they are making a mockery of public opinion. In the process they tend to lose two things--their sense of proportion and their reason for being.
Let there be no doubt that the state of political, social and economic malaise and stagnation demands some soul-searching and self-examination, particularly at the higher echelons of political and, by extension, economic power.
Mohammad Khatami was supposed to be a serious alternative to some of the things that had gone wrong. But, if advocates of political apartheid really succeeded in one thing over eight years, it was to make the job of the embattled president and his team all the more difficult, and by some accounts, outright impossible.
We are at a juncture in our history when an era is coming to an end and producing new challenges not only in the country, but also across the globe. Introspection is the need of the day if the powers to be do not want to totally, and maybe irreversibly, alienate themselves from the people whom they claim, at all times, to represent.
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