Former presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi has issued a statement in which he condemned the disrespect of religious sanctities by some protesters on Ashura day (December 27) and made five proposals for resolving the current issues facing the country, the Tabnak website reported on Friday.
The reformist politician also criticized some of the actions taken against protesters and said if some people disrespected the Ashura rituals, “we don’t approve of their acts.”
| عزتالله سحابی :عزیزان من انقلاب در ایران فعلی، نه شدنی است و نه درست. |
Elsewhere in the statement, he said, “We disapprove of those who don’t respect their country’s national and religious beliefs and customs. The extremist slogans chanted and (extremist) acts carried out by some protesters on Ashura are unacceptable.”
Mousavi’s first and second proposals imply that he has accepted that the election is over, a Tabnak analyst said.
On Ashura day, which is the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his 72 companions, there were protests during which some rioters and infiltrators chanted anti-government slogans, resorted to violence, and damaged public property. These acts have been strongly condemned by government officials and the Iranian nation.
Following is the text of Mousavi’s five proposals:
(1) The administration should be accountable to the people, the Majlis (parliament), and the Judiciary and should take responsibility for its actions. Certainly, if the administration is competent and legitimate, it can convince people and the Majlis. Otherwise, the Judiciary and the Majlis will deal with the administration within the framework of the Constitution.
(2) A transparent and reliable election law should be drafted so people will be assured that the competition is free and fair and is not affected by intervention or fraud. This law should guarantee that all people, regardless of their diverse views and ideas, can take part in the election and should guarantee that the election is not manipulated by the executive branch (officials) tasked with holding the election and that (they) are not biased by their political persuasions. The Majlis established during the first years of the revolution can be taken as a good model.
(3) Political prisoners should be released and their reputations should be rehabilitated. This action will not lead to the weakness of the establishment, but rather, this will be regarded as an insightful act.
(4) Freedom of the press and media outlets should be guaranteed and the ban on the newspapers that were closed should be lifted. The government should not be afraid of freedom of the press and should learn from the international experiences in regard to this kind of freedom. The expansion of satellite networks, and the importance and influence that they have attained, prove that the old methods adopted by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting and the restrictions imposed on its programs are not adequate.
(5) The government should recognize the people’s rights elaborated in Article 27 of the Constitution entitling people to hold legal gatherings and to establish parties and associations. This action could result in the clashes giving way to an atmosphere of national amity and affection within a few months.
This article was first published by the Tehran Times on 2 January 2010; it is reproduced here for non-profit educational purposes.
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