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Roundup: Judiciary Row Ends, But Reformist-Conservative Quarrels Remain in Iran
After two more vacant seats to Iran's oversight Guardian Council (GC) were approved by the Majlis (parliament) on Tuesday, the dispute between the chamber and the judiciary over the matter has been solved, thus clearing the way for President Mohammad Khatami's investiture for his second term in office.
Khatami, who was re-elected in a landslide victory on June 8 general elections, will be sworn in on Wednesday, Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karrubi announced on Tuesday.
The inauguration, slated on last Sunday, has been postponed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei following the dispute between the Majlis and the judiciary over election of three vacant GC members.
The 12-member GC oversees laws passed by the parliament to ensure their conformity with the Islamic teachings and the national constitution.
The council comprises six jurists appointed by the Supreme Leader and six lawyers elected by the parliament from a list prepared by the judiciary.
Selections for half the council's positions are renewed every three years, that is, three vacant seats need to be renewed this time.
The reformist-dominated Majlis on Saturday approved only one of the jurors nominated by the conservative judiciary and twice rejected all other candidates for the other two seats, saying that they disapproved of the candidates as "too political."
In response, the judiciary threatened to block the investiture of reformist Khatami to his second and final four-year term.
In accordance with Khamenei's order, the Expediency Council, the country's highest arbitration body, held an emergency meeting on Monday night to discuss the matter with the concerned sides.
After three-and-half-hour debate, a compromised decision was made, that is, if the judiciary's candidates for the two vacant GC seats do not secure an absolute majority during the parliament's first vote on Tuesday, there will be a second round of voting in which the two lawyers who gain the "relative majority" will be elected.
On Tuesday morning, out of the 242 lawmakers present in the chamber, 166 cast blank votes, thereby rejecting by an "absolute majority" the four nominees to the post by judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.
Although the row has been solved and the obstacle to Khatami's investiture has been actually removed, but analysts predicted more quarrels between pro-reformists and the conservative state power controllers since their contradiction has been rooted in connection with the power struggle.
The pro-reform lawmakers have been squaring off against the conservative rulers for barring their candidates in various elections and blocking most of the progressive laws they passed over the past several months.
It was reported that more than 40 newspapers, mostly pro-reform, were muzzled in the past year by the conservative-led courts, which have also jailed dozens of pro-reform journalists and Khatami's allies.
Further more, the conservatives have been accusing the Khatami administration of mismanagement and corruption, which have led to many economic problems, such as increasing unemployment and high inflation.
Analysts have predicted that Khatami may have even tougher time in his second four-year term because more challenges is waiting for him.
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