TEHRAN, Jan 30: Iran's Guardian Council has withstood an onslaught of appeals from reformists and on Friday reversed candidacy bans on one-third of hopefuls for next month's parliamentary poll.
The conservative watchdog also said it would not postpone the February 20 parliamentary election, despite a call to do so from the Interior Ministry. The council had banned almost half of the 8,200 hopefuls for the February 20 vote, mainly allies of President Mohammad Khatami, including 80 deputies from the 290-seat parliament.
"More than 1,160 were reinstated," said a Guardian Council statement read out on state television. Some 3,300 out of 3,600 banned candidates had appealed.
"The issue of postponement was discussed and was not agreed," said Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of the conservative watchdog in a statement on the Guardian Council website.
Parliamentarian Ali Tajernia said none the famous liberal firebrands had been cleared to run. "Those who have been approved are those who will not aid a competitive election," he told Reuters.
The 12-man Guardian Council, a watchdog composed of six religious scholars and six Islamic lawyers, had been told to review its bans by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on all state matters.
Government representatives were not immediately able to comment on the bans but many reformist MPs, protesting in an almost three-week long sit-in at parliament, have said they may boycott the election and resign.
Despite boycott threats from reformist deputies, Mr Khatami had expressed hope that a deal could still be struck with the Guardian Council. But many reformists say they will accept no compromise.
Those disqualified still have another opportunity to appeal but many complain the conservatives' tactics have scuppered their campaigns. The country's provincial governors and Interior Ministry had called for the election to be postponed until its fairness can be guaranteed.
"In order to lay the ground for a proper election...I ask for a postponement," Interior Minister Abdolvahed Mousavi-Lari said in a letter posted on his ministry's website and sent to Ayatollah Jannati.
Influential former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani called for a quick end to the dispute to stop enemies such as the United States making political capital out of it.
"If we hold a successful election with a large turnout they will be disappointed and step back," he told worshippers at Friday prayers, broadcast live on state radio.
Students, a major political force, are still keeping their powder dry to test the reformists' commitment to the struggle. The public has seemed largely unimpressed by the row, frustrated by the reformists' slow social and economic changes.-Reuters