سياوش اردلان
Summary of Today's BroadcastRFE/RL Persian ServiceWednesday, November 06, 2002 - Election law reform - Iran-US cooperation against Iraq oil smuggling - Iran-Iraq trade cooperation treaty - Nuri's political future - Row over US-Iran relations opinion polls - Sazegara on underground press monitoring team Majles Approves the Outlines of Election Reform Bill * The reformist majority in the Majles voted to end the conservative Guardian Council's oversight role in vetting the applicants for candidacy in elections. While the Majles has yet to vote on the bill's details, Guardians Council's director of research Gholamhossein Elham said the bill has no chance of being approved by the Guardians Council. Interior minister Abdolvahed Musavi-Lari defended the bill by pointing out that the Guardians Council's constitutional election oversight role does not give it the right to veto applicants. (Siavash Ardalan) US Navy Confirms Iran's Cooperation * US Navy Lieutenant Pete Grim, in charge of the U.S. Coast Guard personnel and Navy Seal boarding teams, confirmed that Iran for the past 18 months has been cooperating with the international team to block Iraqi oil smuggling through Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. (Fariba Mavedat, London) Iran and Iraq Sign Trade Agreement * The commerce ministers of Iran and Iraq signed a trade agreement in Baghdad today. Iraqi commerce minister Mohammad-Mehdi Saleh and Iran's commerce minister Mohammad Shariatmadari portrayed Iran and Iraq as friends in their joint press conference. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) * Tehran journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi tells RFE/RL that by signing the trade agreement with Iraq, Tehran signals that it opposes a US-led regime change in Iraq. He adds that by cooperating with the US on blocking Iraqi oil smuggling Iran shows its support for UN resolutions. However, he adds, Iran does not yet have a clear Iraqi policy and "active neutrality" means that Iran's policy can sway any which way in case of a US attack on Iraq. (Jamshid Zand) Abdullah Nuri's Political Future * Political, legal and emotional obstacles will prevent former interior minister Abdollah Nuri from playing a political role after his release from jail on a pardon by the Supreme Leader. (Siavash Ardalan) Sazegara: Underground Committee to Control Press * Publisher Mohsen Sazegara, whose latest newspaper Golestan-e Iran was shut down after only 15 issues, wrote to the Majles complaints committee that a 30-man underground crew directs the press court in closing newspapers it finds out of line. Sazegara tells RFE/RL that workers in closed newspapers heard from the officers who padlocked their offices and carted away their equipment that the 30-man underground operation receives its orders directly from the Supreme Leader. (Mehdi Khalaji) Water Flow from Afghanistan Stops After Only 10 Days * The flow of water through Hirmand (Hilmand) River from Afghanistan to Iran, which had resumed after five years, stopped only after 10 days. Sistan va Baluchestan province MP Abolqasem Mokhtari tells RFE/RL that he does not know whether Afghan government has blocked the water or the water is being diverted by Afghans on its 800 kilometer course to Iran from Afghanistan's Kajakai dam. (Fereydoun Zarnegar) Conservatives Use US-Relations Poll Against Reformists * The opinion poll that showed more than 74 percent of respondents favor relations with the US is being used by the conservatives as yet another tool to attack the reformists. The Supreme Leader accused US of paying domestic agencies to fabricate poll results. However, MP Mohsen Mirdamadi, head of the Majles national security and foreign relations committee, asked the leader to approve a referendum on key issues. RFE/RL airs segments of the Supreme Leader's speech and Mirdamadi's response. (Siavash Ardalan) Reformist Writer Alavai-Tabar Calls for Full Democracy * In an article in the monthly Aftab, reformist activist Alireza Alavi-Tabar called for a constitutional reform to eliminate unelected officials and institutions, including the office of the Supreme Leader. He said Khatami's reforms would not have worked since Khatami only wanted to get unelected officials to agree through dialogue to allow more democracy. (Mehdi Khalaji) Police Import 2000 Luxury Cars * Rasht MP Ahmad Ramezanpur said police violated the law by importing 2000 luxury Mercedes Benzes without the approval of the management and planning organization. Tehran economist Mehdi Taqavi tells RFE/RL that domestic cars are not reliable enough for chasing criminals. (Fereydoun Zarnegar) Second Tehran International Water and Sewage Fair * As Tehran holds its second International Water and Sewage Fair, the officials say Iran's per-capita water usage is double the world standard. The per capita annual water usage in Iran has fallen from 7000 cubic meters in 1956 to 1800 cubic meters today, and is expected to fall to 1300 cubic meters per year by 2020 when the population is expected to reach 100 million. Statements made by water officials at the fair suggest that the government may have to turn to the private sector for investments in water projects. (Fereydoun Khavand) Russia's Gazprom Criticized Iran's Buy-Back Deals * Anatoli Nikolayev, board member of Russia's Gazprom said Iran's buy-back deals prevents participation by Gazprom in Iran's gas projects. (Mani Kasravi, Moscow) Majles to Investigate Education Ministry on Illegal Tuitions * The Majles formed a committee to investigate education ministry's practice of charging for elementary and high school education, which are supposed to be free, according to Iran's constitutional law. (Said Peyvandi, Paris) ARTS AND IDEAS Daily Book Review * RFE/RL's Tehran-based book critic Kamran Fani reviews the history of WWI, translated by Ezataollah Fuladvand. Daily Internet Report * On the first anniversary of the publication on the Internet of his manual to write web logs in Persian, which began the popular blogging trend, Hossein Derakhshan tells RFE/RL that he did not expect web logging to become so popular. More than 8,000, including many poets, professional writers, journalists and educators, keep web logs on the Internet, using the freedom of expression not available in Iranian media. He also announces launching of a new portal site www.blognama.com that lists web logs based on subject. (Behnam Nateghi, New York) Daily Science Report * In a study published in the journal Science, Dr. James Tiedje and his team of researchers at Michigan State University report that a previously unknown bacteria is able to turn trichloroethane, an industrial chemical that is difficult to clear from ground water, into a more benign compound that other microbes can render harmless. Dr. James Tiedje tells RFE/RL that trichloroethane was one of the remaining groundwater pollutants for which biodegradation have not been resolved. (Fatemeh Aman, Washington) Ramadan Rituals in Arab Countries * On the first day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, RFE/RL's Cairo-based Middle East correspondent Jamshid Chalangi discusses the Ramadan rituals in the Arab world. Iranian-born Artist's Exhibit on Everest * On the 50th anniversary of man's climb to the Mount Everest, Iranian-born photographer Yadegar Azizi exhibits his circular 50-meter exhibit in a giant former oil tank in Leipzig at the cost of 1.5 million euros. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) Song: Sahrkhiz (Early Riser) * RFE/RL's Frankfurt music critic Mahmud Khoshnam plays Shaharkhiz, an old song based on a poem by Fereydoun Moshiri. Shaid (Joy) * Los Angeles DJ Afshin Gorgin spins the latest Persian pop tunes. WORLD * Republicans take Senate, increase majority in House (Homayoun Majd, Washington) * France continues to demand a two-step approach to Iraq in the UN Security Council resolution. (Jean Khakzad, Paris) * Representatives of Hamas and al-Fath to meet in Cairo. (Jamshid Chalangi, Cairo) * Yemen confirms that seven al-Qaeda elements died in the CIA missile attack on their car in East Yemen. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) * Germany says al-Qaeda plans terrorist operations. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) * France closes the Sangaat refugee camp. (Jean Khakzad, Paris) * Italian NGOs and EU begin a campaign against circumcision of girls in Africa and Arab countries. (Ahmad Ra'fat, Rome)
بنا بر لايحه اصلاح قانون انتخابات كه امروز كليات آن در مجلس شوراي اسلامي به تصويب رسيد، از قدرت شوراي نگهبان در حذف متقاضيان نامزدي انتخابات مجلس تا حد چشمگيري كاسته مي شود. اين لايحه پس از تصويب نهائي در مجلس براي تبديل شدن به قانون به تائيد شوراي نگهبان نياز دارد. غلامحسين الهام، رئيس مركز پژوهش شوراي نگهبان، پيش بيني كرد اين لايحه در شوراي نگهبان رد شود. تصويب كليات لايحه مذكور در مجلس دور از انتظار نبود. طرفداران لايحه دولت مي گويند نظارت استصوابي به شوراي نگهبان امكان مي دهد مخالفان جناح محافظه كار را از شركت در انتخابات مجلس شوراي اسلامي محروم كند. عبدالواحد موسوي لاري، وزير كشور، كه در ارائه لايحه دولت به مجلس فعال بود، در صحن علني مجلس از لايحه دولت دفاع كرد.
Summary of Today's BroadcastRFE/RL Persian ServiceWednesday, November 06, 2002 - Election law reform - Iran-US cooperation against Iraq oil smuggling - Iran-Iraq trade cooperation treaty - Nuri's political future - Row over US-Iran relations opinion polls - Sazegara on underground press monitoring team Majles Approves the Outlines of Election Reform Bill * The reformist majority in the Majles voted to end the conservative Guardian Council's oversight role in vetting the applicants for candidacy in elections. While the Majles has yet to vote on the bill's details, Guardians Council's director of research Gholamhossein Elham said the bill has no chance of being approved by the Guardians Council. Interior minister Abdolvahed Musavi-Lari defended the bill by pointing out that the Guardians Council's constitutional election oversight role does not give it the right to veto applicants. (Siavash Ardalan) US Navy Confirms Iran's Cooperation * US Navy Lieutenant Pete Grim, in charge of the U.S. Coast Guard personnel and Navy Seal boarding teams, confirmed that Iran for the past 18 months has been cooperating with the international team to block Iraqi oil smuggling through Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. (Fariba Mavedat, London) Iran and Iraq Sign Trade Agreement * The commerce ministers of Iran and Iraq signed a trade agreement in Baghdad today. Iraqi commerce minister Mohammad-Mehdi Saleh and Iran's commerce minister Mohammad Shariatmadari portrayed Iran and Iraq as friends in their joint press conference. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) * Tehran journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi tells RFE/RL that by signing the trade agreement with Iraq, Tehran signals that it opposes a US-led regime change in Iraq. He adds that by cooperating with the US on blocking Iraqi oil smuggling Iran shows its support for UN resolutions. However, he adds, Iran does not yet have a clear Iraqi policy and "active neutrality" means that Iran's policy can sway any which way in case of a US attack on Iraq. (Jamshid Zand) Abdullah Nuri's Political Future * Political, legal and emotional obstacles will prevent former interior minister Abdollah Nuri from playing a political role after his release from jail on a pardon by the Supreme Leader. (Siavash Ardalan) Sazegara: Underground Committee to Control Press * Publisher Mohsen Sazegara, whose latest newspaper Golestan-e Iran was shut down after only 15 issues, wrote to the Majles complaints committee that a 30-man underground crew directs the press court in closing newspapers it finds out of line. Sazegara tells RFE/RL that workers in closed newspapers heard from the officers who padlocked their offices and carted away their equipment that the 30-man underground operation receives its orders directly from the Supreme Leader. (Mehdi Khalaji) Water Flow from Afghanistan Stops After Only 10 Days * The flow of water through Hirmand (Hilmand) River from Afghanistan to Iran, which had resumed after five years, stopped only after 10 days. Sistan va Baluchestan province MP Abolqasem Mokhtari tells RFE/RL that he does not know whether Afghan government has blocked the water or the water is being diverted by Afghans on its 800 kilometer course to Iran from Afghanistan's Kajakai dam. (Fereydoun Zarnegar) Conservatives Use US-Relations Poll Against Reformists * The opinion poll that showed more than 74 percent of respondents favor relations with the US is being used by the conservatives as yet another tool to attack the reformists. The Supreme Leader accused US of paying domestic agencies to fabricate poll results. However, MP Mohsen Mirdamadi, head of the Majles national security and foreign relations committee, asked the leader to approve a referendum on key issues. RFE/RL airs segments of the Supreme Leader's speech and Mirdamadi's response. (Siavash Ardalan) Reformist Writer Alavai-Tabar Calls for Full Democracy * In an article in the monthly Aftab, reformist activist Alireza Alavi-Tabar called for a constitutional reform to eliminate unelected officials and institutions, including the office of the Supreme Leader. He said Khatami's reforms would not have worked since Khatami only wanted to get unelected officials to agree through dialogue to allow more democracy. (Mehdi Khalaji) Police Import 2000 Luxury Cars * Rasht MP Ahmad Ramezanpur said police violated the law by importing 2000 luxury Mercedes Benzes without the approval of the management and planning organization. Tehran economist Mehdi Taqavi tells RFE/RL that domestic cars are not reliable enough for chasing criminals. (Fereydoun Zarnegar) Second Tehran International Water and Sewage Fair * As Tehran holds its second International Water and Sewage Fair, the officials say Iran's per-capita water usage is double the world standard. The per capita annual water usage in Iran has fallen from 7000 cubic meters in 1956 to 1800 cubic meters today, and is expected to fall to 1300 cubic meters per year by 2020 when the population is expected to reach 100 million. Statements made by water officials at the fair suggest that the government may have to turn to the private sector for investments in water projects. (Fereydoun Khavand) Russia's Gazprom Criticized Iran's Buy-Back Deals * Anatoli Nikolayev, board member of Russia's Gazprom said Iran's buy-back deals prevents participation by Gazprom in Iran's gas projects. (Mani Kasravi, Moscow) Majles to Investigate Education Ministry on Illegal Tuitions * The Majles formed a committee to investigate education ministry's practice of charging for elementary and high school education, which are supposed to be free, according to Iran's constitutional law. (Said Peyvandi, Paris) ARTS AND IDEAS Daily Book Review * RFE/RL's Tehran-based book critic Kamran Fani reviews the history of WWI, translated by Ezataollah Fuladvand. Daily Internet Report * On the first anniversary of the publication on the Internet of his manual to write web logs in Persian, which began the popular blogging trend, Hossein Derakhshan tells RFE/RL that he did not expect web logging to become so popular. More than 8,000, including many poets, professional writers, journalists and educators, keep web logs on the Internet, using the freedom of expression not available in Iranian media. He also announces launching of a new portal site www.blognama.com that lists web logs based on subject. (Behnam Nateghi, New York) Daily Science Report * In a study published in the journal Science, Dr. James Tiedje and his team of researchers at Michigan State University report that a previously unknown bacteria is able to turn trichloroethane, an industrial chemical that is difficult to clear from ground water, into a more benign compound that other microbes can render harmless. Dr. James Tiedje tells RFE/RL that trichloroethane was one of the remaining groundwater pollutants for which biodegradation have not been resolved. (Fatemeh Aman, Washington) Ramadan Rituals in Arab Countries * On the first day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, RFE/RL's Cairo-based Middle East correspondent Jamshid Chalangi discusses the Ramadan rituals in the Arab world. Iranian-born Artist's Exhibit on Everest * On the 50th anniversary of man's climb to the Mount Everest, Iranian-born photographer Yadegar Azizi exhibits his circular 50-meter exhibit in a giant former oil tank in Leipzig at the cost of 1.5 million euros. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) Song: Sahrkhiz (Early Riser) * RFE/RL's Frankfurt music critic Mahmud Khoshnam plays Shaharkhiz, an old song based on a poem by Fereydoun Moshiri. Shaid (Joy) * Los Angeles DJ Afshin Gorgin spins the latest Persian pop tunes. WORLD * Republicans take Senate, increase majority in House (Homayoun Majd, Washington) * France continues to demand a two-step approach to Iraq in the UN Security Council resolution. (Jean Khakzad, Paris) * Representatives of Hamas and al-Fath to meet in Cairo. (Jamshid Chalangi, Cairo) * Yemen confirms that seven al-Qaeda elements died in the CIA missile attack on their car in East Yemen. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) * Germany says al-Qaeda plans terrorist operations. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) * France closes the Sangaat refugee camp. (Jean Khakzad, Paris) * Italian NGOs and EU begin a campaign against circumcision of girls in Africa and Arab countries. (Ahmad Ra'fat, Rome)
بنا بر لايحه اصلاح قانون انتخابات كه امروز كليات آن در مجلس شوراي اسلامي به تصويب رسيد، از قدرت شوراي نگهبان در حذف متقاضيان نامزدي انتخابات مجلس تا حد چشمگيري كاسته مي شود. اين لايحه پس از تصويب نهائي در مجلس براي تبديل شدن به قانون به تائيد شوراي نگهبان نياز دارد. غلامحسين الهام، رئيس مركز پژوهش شوراي نگهبان، پيش بيني كرد اين لايحه در شوراي نگهبان رد شود. تصويب كليات لايحه مذكور در مجلس دور از انتظار نبود. طرفداران لايحه دولت مي گويند نظارت استصوابي به شوراي نگهبان امكان مي دهد مخالفان جناح محافظه كار را از شركت در انتخابات مجلس شوراي اسلامي محروم كند. عبدالواحد موسوي لاري، وزير كشور، كه در ارائه لايحه دولت به مجلس فعال بود، در صحن علني مجلس از لايحه دولت دفاع كرد.
