Tehran, Sept 28, IRNA -- A group of Iranian students in an open letter urged President Mohammad Khatami to be sincere in his reforms promises and platform or else quit politics.

The Islamic Association of Students in Tehran University and the Faculty of Medical Sciences said in the letter that if the Guardian Council (GC) rejects the ratification of the bills by Majlis on defining presidential duties and authority and on the election law, sincerity rules that the president leave politics in case of failing to materialize his reforms slogans and promises.

The letter, a copy of which was made available to IRNA on Saturday, asked the president to talk to the people and introduce to the public those preventing the implementation of the Constitution.

Elsewhere, the letter complained about the meager budget allocated for research and education and the financial problems of the universities in meeting the basic educational, research and welfare needs.

Khatami's long-awaited bill to bolster his executive authority was presented to the parliament by Vice President for legal and parliamentary affairs Mohammad-Ali Abtahi on Tuesday.

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.

Once passed by the parliament, the bill has to go through the supervisory Guardians Council's vetting. If rejected, the Expediency Council might be called for final arbitration.

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'.

He said recently that 'the bill aims to outline presidential authorities for a more exact and serious execution'.

The announcement has been met with mixed reaction, with some people saying that the bill was contrary to the Constitution, since it sought excessive authority for the president and interfered in other state powers.

Others have hailed it, saying it could enable Khatami to deliver better on his promises of establishing a rule of law and a civil society.

Khatami asks students to stay in political center stage

Tehran, Sept 28, IRNA -- President Mohammad Khatami here Saturday renewed his appeal to Iranian students, who were key to his 1997 landslide election victory, to remain on the political scene and help the government.

"God forbid that universities of a country recline into political passivity. This is a symptom of an illness which has to be cured," he told thousands of students and academics at the start of the new academic year for institutes of higher education.

Khatami stressed the students' right to question and take officials into account on various state affairs in the face of 'extremist and violent factional moves which present a harsh image of Islam'.

"Universities are the most important place for questioning and is a meeting place for the cultivated knowledge-loving young generation whose ideological quest requires them to be anxious about the fate of their nation, the country as well as the human community," Khatami noted.

"Our young generation today should know where they are coming from, how they want to resist today's volatile society and what they are after.

"In the Islamic world, especially the civilized young generation is tired of two issues: western schools and borrowed experiences which contradict the criteria of their societies and extremist factional moves which have been presenting a harsh image of Islam," Khatami said.

"In such an environment, it is very important to present a successful pattern of government which complies with the characteristics of a Muslim community and exigencies of the time.

"I believe religious democracy which is currently experienced in Iran is the most suitable choice provided that we submit to all its requirements," Khatami said.

The Iranian president reiterated the country's need for planning and development in all areas and called on students to assist the government in optimal use of the world's scientific know-how.

... Payvand News - 9/28/02 ... --