A SAMPLE OF OATH SUGGESTED FOR PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD KHATAMI

TEHRAN 28 July (IPS) In its latest issue, the political-economic monthly Gozaresh (Report) under the title of "I Swear To", formulated a sample oath and suggested Mr. Mohammad Khatami to swear to it at his official introduction by the leader of the regime, Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i, on 2 of August.

Here is the translation of the article:

I SWEAR TO..

Prior to starting work in his grave responsibility, every president goes through the ceremony of taking the oath of office. The Gozaresh magazine in this issue has put together a sample oath and even though it is not official and its implementation can’t be required, but reading it can be of use to Mr. Seyed Mohammad Khatami, the president elected by the people of Iran. Now the text of the oath:

I swear that each day when I sit at the table along side my wife and children, to think about the meals of the 20 million Iranian families and whatever their table contain or should do, to compare it to my meal and think about the fact that even after the burden and the difficulties of holding 2 or 3 jobs, what the fathers of those families are eating right now?

I swear to fulfil the slogans of "freedom", "the freedom of my opponent" and "long live my opponent" in all conditions and not allow the opponent to be removed from the scene as an over thrower or the critical voices and whispers that come from the people to be considered as actions against the revolution and values.

I will try to spread to the judiciary and other organisations and government institutions the culture that resorting to torture and getting confessions through the use of fear and aggression is prohibited in Islam, to remove this fear from the mentality of the Iranian society, the Iranian prisoner and the Iranian intellectuals and not allow terrorists and assailants to act with permission and blessings and for the writers and journalists to remain imprisoned and incarcerated.

I swear to respect the belief of the students that the conscious votes of the people were a renewed emphasis on the rule of the will of the people in front the mafia of power and wealth that creates obstacles and crises and to place the government and its rule along the lines of the rule of the will of the people and not allow this mentality of the time of the Shah that anyone who is not a member of the Rastakheez political party can take his passport and leave the country, be established again*.

I swear to remove the expressions "club and club wielding", "pressure group", the language of force and even legal violence under any title from the political and social culture of the country and replace them with tolerating each other, meritocracy and democracy (in place of the rule of pedarkhandeha)*.

I swear to prevent any advantage-seeking move by any institution, group, family and organisation in the private, cooperatives and public sectors under any title and if I was unable to do so, to clearly announce their names.

I swear to never surrender to the policies of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the globalisation of the economy and at the same time strengthen the respect for free trade and indigenousness and regional economies and not call Iranian capitalists and investors who love Iran and serve the people of the country "despotic leeches and"… differentiate the productive capitalists that care about Iran and its people from the pillagers of the national wealth and the oppressors of the deprived classes.

I swear to consider prostitution, administrative corruption (by the workers), addiction and crimes as things created by economic poverty and lack of knowledge and not deal only as criminals the unfortunates souls who are entangled with them and with the excuse of the infiltration of the West and the global arrogance and not leave them to their own devices. I will try to create changes in their lives and allocate part of the advantages and percentages and the exchange of the capital of the people in the hands of the aghazadeha* to the creation of employment and the possibility of healthy lives for this group of my compatriots.

I swear not to allow the people of Iran to be divided into insiders and outsiders, supporters of the true authentic Islam of Mohammad and the supporters of the non-authentic Islam, over-thrower and non-over-thrower, nationalist-religious and non nationalist-religious and not allow fear and horror to remain in the faces of Iranian families, writers, journalists, political activists and intellectuals because where there is no security, in an unstable environment of fear and terror, creativity and ingenuity disappear and I will not allow the intelligentsia, educated and brains of the country to be forced to immigrate because of slanders and accusations or livelihood problems and not having the minimum requirements of life in a free atmosphere.

I swear to try to create conditions in which the trial of corrupt individuals and the investigation of corruptions take place in courts where none of the judges have ever been arrested for the accusation of receiving bribes or any other crimes and pursue wanting what is right and the development and carrying out of justice as the demands of the people.

I swear to not allow the government to be turned into a corporation this term and as in the past the positions in varying percentages be allocated to political parties, gangs, fronts and masters of power, the members of cabinet be selected based on meritocracy, operational abilities, management track record in their fields and being capable of the job and not through recommendations and the wanting of shares in inherited power.

I swear not to allow anyone around me be they are my relatives or close to me, my friends, collaborators, clergy or not, in position of power or from the bazaar to grow and deal using the facilities of public funds and declare that no aghazadeh from the left or right is with or from us.

I swear to Iranian immigrants, to the noble people of the country that for various reasons have left not to look at them as escapees, runaways, the identity-less and… and consider them as amongst the owners of this country and having the right to live in Iran.

I swear and commit in front of my own conscious not to allow the country to become anymore of a cemetery for machinery and equipment that were imported based on taste and without study and true need as well as the technology and knowledge for their utilisation and repair and not allow some officials developing a taste for percentages and advantages to lead to the expansion of such actions.

I swear from here to not say that it is out of the will of the government or that it is out of my power. If I can’t or they won’t let me I, will report the reasons to the people point-blank.

I swear that before being retired as president, to carryout my oaths and not blame others for my not doing so or not being able to do so, and if the conditions were such that the affairs were taken out of my hands, leave the arena and give up the duty. ENDS OATH TAKING 28701

*Few years before his fall, the last Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi decided for a one party rule named Rastakhiz (Resurrection) and in a move not seen in any one party dictatorship, he ordered all Iranian to become member of the Party, warning that is anyone is against, he must be mad or can take his passport and leave.

* Godfathers

*Children or close relatives of the powerful