‘Khatami election preconditions childish’

A prominent Iranian journalist has slammed former President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami for setting conditions for running for president.

Reformist journalist Mashallah Shamsolvaezin on Sunday said setting preconditions makes Khatami seem like a ‘spoiled child’.

Khatami said on Saturday that he needed assurance of his executive powers before running for presidency.

The former Iranian chief executive cited ‘reaching a compromise with the Iranian nation for their expectations’ and ‘receiving assurance for the implementation of his plans’ as his two preconditions for running for president in Iran’s 10th presidential election scheduled for June 12, 2009.

“It is strange to hear such remarks coming from a figure, who served Iran as president for 8 years,” said Shamsolvaezin, a freedom of press advocate who demands increased communication between the government and press.

He went on to criticize Khatami for wanting to run for presidency, while being fully aware of the extent of a president’s executive powers.

Shamsolvaezin said if Khatami was that displeased with the level of his executive powers in his first term he should not have sought a second term in office in 2001.

With the country’s presidential election approaching, the former Iranian president has recently become an outspoken critic of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration. He, however, has yet to announce his final decision on running for presidency.

Khatami has criticized the ‘aggressive’ policies of the current administration, arguing that such policies provide grounds for the enemy to justify its acts against the country.

“Aggressive and blistering rhetoric plays into the hands of the enemy, harming the country and the system,” Kargozaran newspaper quoted Khatami as saying in September.

CS/HGH