The reformist lawmakers of the Iranian parliament are urging the establishment to exercise tolerance and open mindedness in dealing with the “peaceful critics” of the government.
Reformist Members of Parliament issued a statement calling for the space to “express just and concerned criticisms aimed at improving matters,” Parleman News reports.
“In the current volatile situation, the country is in need of peace more than ever; therefore, any action that foments further tensions, especially actions leading to violence within society, will not benefit the country or the regime,” the statement adds.
The MPs emphasize: “Reformists are after change within the framework of the constitution and achieving reforms through civil methods. Therefore, they reject actions that violate the law, and any illegal activity is condemned from the point of view of reformists.”
The reformists constitute a minority in the Iranian parliament.
This morning the conservative lawmakers called for the execution of opposition leaders in the opening of the parliamentary session. Later, 223 members issued a statement calling for the “maximum punishment for MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.”
Last week, the two opposition leaders called for a rally in support of the recent Arab uprisings, and the people responded yesterday by taking to the streets of Tehran and other major cities, joining mass demonstrations that turned into anti-government protests when the security forces began attacking.
The establishment, which seems to have been surprised by the magnitude of the protests, has once again accused foreign elements of fomenting the demonstrations.
The two opposition leaders have been under house arrest since before the protests and were prevented from joining the demonstrations yesterday.
