Is Mohammad Khatami now a lame-duck president?
The hardliners who will be in control of parliament after June onwards, when the new parliament is inaugurated, have said they will try their best to work smoothly with President Khatami’s government . Their decision stems from the fact that by the time they find their feet in parliament, President Khatami’s term of office will be near its end anyway. But I believe so long as he is at the helm, President Khatami’s presence will continue to have a moderating effect on the hardliners. And he will continue to be a source of support to the reformists. Will this mean Iran becomes more isolated from the rest of the world? That is the concern of many both inside and outside Iran now that the hardliners have made a huge comeback. Many here fear the return to the days some 10 years ago and before, when Iranian regime was picking fights with many countries on a range of issues … when Iran’s human rights record was far worse that it is now … and when there were political murders abroad that w
