Iranian President Offers to Resign
VOA News
12 Jul 2003, 13:25 UTC
Iranian President Mohammed Khatami has reportedly offered to resign if his country's people want him to.
A government-owned newspaper quotes Mr. Khatami as saying "We are not masters of people but servants of this nation. If this nation says we don't want you, we will go."
The Iranian president made the comments Thursday during a speech in Karaj, a city west of the capital, Tehran. State-run radio and television did not run the part that dealt with a possible resignation. Mr. Khatami has come under increasing pressure from Iranian liberals to push through reforms that would reduce the power of the country's unelected Islamic clerics.
Mr. Khatami has said he is powerless against clerics who use their control of Iran's judiciary and security forces to block reformist legislation and stamp out calls for change.
Over the past three years, hard-line judges have jailed dozens of pro-reform writers and shut down some 90 pro-reform publications. In June, authorities arrested about 4,000 people during a series of anti-government protests in Tehran.
Earlier this year, Iran's parliament passed two bills that would have increased Mr. Khatami's powers. But the Guardian Council, which must approve all legislation before it becomes law, vetoed both bills.
Some information for this report provided by AP.
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