Earlier in the day, the lamed and beleaguered President had, once again, repeated that he was powerless in face of difficulties and problemes, which, again, he refused to identify.

Besides Khatami’s twin bills aimed at curtailing the powers of the Guardians concerning candidates to elections in the one hand and enhancing those of the president on the other, the 12 members Council also rejected a bill on Iran's joining a UN convention on women's rights as well as a motion to ban torture for discrepancies.

The GC spokesman also said that the guardians had rejected the Majles motion on Iran's joining the convention on banning torture, arguing that it also contradicted the Constitution and would increase public expenditure.

Political analysts said Khatami’s continued bowing to the conservatives not only is humiliating for the millions who twice voted for him, but shows that he had decided to side with the conservatives.

"In the past, he had let it be known that in case the conservatives block all his reforms, he might step down and let the hard liners facing directly the people, but now one has the impression that he has changed political course", commented Mr. Jamshid Barzegar, a leading commentator based in Viena.

"The bill on fighting all forms of discriminations against women has not determined the authority that would be responsible in discerning what is discrimination against women and what is not, so that any comments could be made on that", Mr. Azizi said.

He added that once Iran signs the convention, it will be obliged to accept and respect its contents, even when they are against Islamic rulings. Therefore, the Council voted the bill as against the Shari’a".

"Iran's joining the convention on banning torture in many cases would increase public expenditure while no suggestion has been made on how the new expenditure would be compensated and this is against Article 75 of the Constitution", Mr. Azizi said, giving no explanation concerning additional public expenditures.

The Majlis last year approved a motion to ban physical harassment of inmates "in whatever form".

The motion also bans blindfolding inmates, interrogating them late at night, keeping the inmate awake, insulting them and putting them under psychological pressure, that are routine in Iranian prisons.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Azizi further said that the Majlis had failed to amend the discrepancies with the Constitution in an already rejected bill on the electoral law, as advised by the GC, adding that the MPs had in certain cases even increased those discrepancies.

"The Majlis has in some cases removed the discrepancies, but has in several other cases increased them or failed to change certain others," Azizi said.

"The GC accordingly returned the bill to the chamber for amendment."

The bill on amending the electoral law has been basically drawn up to address the GC's prerogative of Approbatory Supervision, which enables the council to disqualify candidates, whom it considers as unfit for state posts from running in elections.