25 January 2004	Sunday	02 Zilhaj 1424

TEHRAN, Jan 24: Iranian President Mohammad Khatami admitted on Saturday talks with a conservative watchdog that banned thousands of candidates from next month's election made little headway.

Mr Khatami and Speaker Mehdi Karroubi had put on a brave face after the talks with the 12-man Guardian Council a week ago. But news they were fruitless had filtered through to MPs.

"Our talks were unsatisfactory," said a joint statement from Mr Khatami and Mr Karroubi, carried on the official IRNA news agency on Saturday.

The statement went on to condemn the disqualifications as "unworthy of the religious and democratic establishment" and reiterated demands for the bans to be reviewed.

A review was demanded by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on all state matters, but the reversal of the bans is moving at a snail's pace.

Mohammad Jahromi, a Guardian Council Spokesman, was quoted by Irna as saying only 400 had been reversed so far.

Liberal MPs are on their 14th day of a sit-in parliament to protest against the candidacy bans.

Parliamentarian Ali Shakourirad told the ISNA students' news agency the joint statement was encouraging.

But MP Jamileh Kadivar said it came too late. "If Mr Khatami had stood up from the beginning, we would not have this problem now," she told ISNA.

The statement came on the day US Vice-President Dick Cheney called on Europe to join the United States in promoting democracy in Iran. MP Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour said public disenchantment over an unfair election could usher in foreign interference.-Reuters