Iranian President Calls for Dedication to ReformsIranian President Mohammad Khatami on Monday called for more dedication to the country's reform cause after his government made "great achievements in the past four years."Khatami made the call while addressing his first re-election campaign rally in Tehran, attended by more than 50,000 of his supporters, the official IRNA news agency reported. "The votes you cast four years ago for the reform program have brought a drastic change in the mentality of the Iranian community," he said, adding that "today, everyone is free to express desire for freedom, civil society, social justice and other fundamental rights of the people." The president, however, recognized that there are still obstacles to the advancement of the reforms and thus called for more dedication, vigilance and determination of his countrymen, especially the young generation, to help reach the historical goals of the country. He noted that the reform movement is seeking moderation both in tactic and strategy and to avoid going to extremism and bring about changes in the political, economic, scientific and cultural areas. Khatami won Iran's seventh presidential election in 1997 with nearly 70 percent of the votes. He is now competing with nine rivals in the next election due on June 8. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |