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Iranian Majlis Members Clash Over Amendment of Press Law
Intense controversy over amendment of the press law on Sunday erupted between members of Iran's Majlis (parliament), almost leading to physical encounters in an open session of the legislative body.
The clashes broke out following an announcement by Majlis speaker Mehdi Karrubi that a motion to debate the press law has been withdrawn from the agenda of the Majlis.
The press law was amended by the conservative-controlled fifth Majlis in April to put more restrictions on the press.
Following the amendment, some 20 reformist newspapers and journals have been closed down by the judiciary on charges of violating Islamic values and defaming government officials.
A number of reform-minded journalists have also been tried and put into prison on similar charges.
However, the new Majlis, which was inaugurated on May 27 and are dominated by reformers, has vowed to made new amendments to the press law to restore press freedom which has been encouraged by President Mohammad Khatami since he took office in 1997.
An urgent motion of the plan was approved in a Majlis open session on June 18 and was scheduled to top the agenda for the open session on Sunday.
Majlis speaker Karrubi, however, announced at the start of the session that a decision has been made not to debate new amendments to the press law following an order by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
After the speaker made the announcement, a number of Majlis members voiced strong protest, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
The protests disturbed the order of the parliament to the extent that the live broadcast of the proceeding was interrupted.
It is reported that some physical confrontation has also occurred between some Majlis members. The protesting legislators were later directed to outside the Majlis hall by other members of the Majlis.
Political struggles between reformers and the conservatives have stepped up since the February parliamentary election, in which President Khatami's reformist allies dealt a severe blow to their opponents.
But the conservatives obviously have the upper hand in the struggle, because they are still controlling such powerful state organs as the judiciary, not to mention the military.
Even though reformers have seized control of the Majlis, any bill passed by them have to be approved by the conservative Guardians Council.
The press law has become one of the centers of the factional struggle. The conservatives tend to use the restrictive law to suppress reformist press, while the reformers, with the Majlis as their tool, try to amend the law so that reformist papers can no longer be banned easily.
Press reports said the Majlis Presiding Board held an extraordinary session Saturday to decide whether to debate the sensitive press law on Sunday. But the final decision was definitely disappointing to reformers.
The powerful intervention of Khamenei, the supreme authority in the country who is believed to stand by the conservatives, was believed to be the direct reason for the Majlis decision.
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