MAJLES PRESENTED WITH THE BILL TO CONFIRM PRESIDENTIAL POWERS

TEHRAN, 24 Sept (IPS) The government of the embattled Mohammad Khatami submitted Tuesday the much-awaited and talked about bill to the Majles, aimed at increasing presidential powers, mostly his right to control the implementation of the regime’s Constitution.

The bill was passed to the Majles Speaker Hoajjatoleslam Mehdi Karroobi by Vice-President for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hojjatoleslam Mohammad-Ali Abtahi, who said the bill "redefines presidential prerogatives by highlighting president's right to warn any of the highest ranking officials of the three constitutional powers whenever needed and mete out punishment in case the warning is not heeded".

"The bill also calls for the establishment of a bench at the Supreme Court to arbitrate over rulings that the President regards as "irrelevant or unconstitutional", the official news agency IRNA quoted Mr. Abtahi as having explained.

In his last press conference, the powerless Khatami had announced that he would present the Parliament with two bills, one aimed at revising the existing elections for Majles and the other to give the President his constitutional powers, including that of supervising the implementation of the Constitution by all the regime’s powers.

The first bill had been already presented to the Majles, where angry reformist lawmakers said they might not approve it, since, they said, instead of proposing the outright abolition of the controversial "Special Rights that gives the Council of Guardians the possibility to reject any candidate for any election without providing any explanation, its "legality" but calls for the transfer of the "shameful and unconstitutional" Rights from the Guardians to the Interior Ministry.

"Article 113 of the Constitution, beside entrusting President with the executive power except in issues which are directly related to the leadership, envisages other positions for the president as the highest official authority of the country, who charged with implementing the Constitution", the bill confirms.

But political analysts observed that at several occasions, the Judiciary, which is under the direct control of Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the lamed leader of the Islamic Republic and serves as his political and police arms against the reformists, has denied President Khatami this prerogative, on the basis that he is only in charge of the Executive and had no right to intervene in other powers decisions.

"The Constitution explicitly outlines not only the President's right to supervise the implementation of the Constitution by all powers and institutions, but also that of rejecting any decision, or ruling, by any power, considered as unconstitutional, but some people have been even denying this right (to the President) over the past one to two years" Mr. Abtahi told IRNA, singling out the Judiciary Power.

Once passed by the parliament-- and all agrees that it would without difficulty --, the bill has to go through the supervisory Council of Guardians for approval, -- and all agrees that it would not approve.

If rejected, the Expediency Council, which former president Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani chairs, would be called for final arbitration, -- and all agrees that it would confirm the views of the Guardians, who are appointed by the leader, to whom Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani is an old friend and accomplice.

The moderate pro-conservative daily "Entekhab" (Choice) quoted Tuesday Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani as having said since he had not read the bill, he considers as "hastily and precipitated" conclusions published in the press about the final outcome of the bill.

Asked by reporters whether the 12-members Council would approve the bill, Mr. Abtahi said, "We hope...we will pass through this phase with the least expense", but Mr. Karroobi said that approval of the bill "could resolve some of the existing problems which are rooted in many issues". He did not explained.

"Although the government of Mr. Khatami has had achievements over recent years, he has not managed yet to deliver on all his promises", Mr. Karroobi, dubbed as "the chameleon" said when asked on Khatami's reasons for presenting the bill.

Deputy Parliament Speaker, Dr. Mohammad Reza Khatami, who is the younger brother of the President and is the Secretary of Islamic Iran participation Party (IIPP), the nation’s largest political organisation that controls most of the seats at the reformists-dominated Majles said the president wanted to "find legal solutions for problems".

"But, this depends on the views of the opposite side and if they (the conservatives) try to mar it by creating tensions, they (reformists) will have no choice than leaving (the political arena)", he warned.

Last week, a reformist deputy said if the Guardians reject the bill, Mr. Khatami would have "no other choice but to resign".

Other analysts went further and describing the bill as "the last chance" for a "peaceful" transfer to a "more democratic society", implied that if rejected, then "the last bridge preventing the final collapse of the regime" would be broken.

But other Iran watchers, who doubted Mr. Khatami resigning, opposed this dramatic presentation, reminding that he had many other occasions for resigning, including when his most closest and trusted collaborators, friends and supporters were jailed.

Khatami first made his intention to present a bill for strengthening presidential prerogatives late last month "in order to better respond to the aspirations of the people".

"On Monday, he said "the bill aims to outline presidential authorities for a more exact and serious execution", IRNA observed, adding that the announcement has been met with mixed reaction.

"Conservatives have taken up a dual stance (since Khatami's announcement), with some of them in state organisations keeping silent and refraining from making their stance public. "But, the political pawns of the group have adopted a position in advance and indicated harsh reactions", Mardomsalari (Democracy) front-paged Tuesday.

"They have justified their opposition by...propagating that the bill seeks excessive authority and interferes in other state powers", it added.

"The reformist front, instead, has taken up diverse stances. Some of its members have said that the non-transparency of the presidential prerogatives has turned into a pretext to limit president's powers, while other reformists, who believe the reform process had reached a dead end a long time before, say the bill is of no use", the paper added. ENDS PRESIDENTIAL POWERS BILL 24902