Iran’s Parliament denies that Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani has held secret meetings with reformist figures.
ISNA cites an announcement from Parliament’s public relations department, saying: "Such a meeting has never taken place, and publishing this news without establishing the source and merely citing an informed source reveals its falsehood."
Parliament contends that Larijani, in his capacity as the head of Parliament, regularly meets with MPs of various points of view; however, in recent weeks he has had no meetings such as were reported by ILNA on Wednesday.
The announcement adds, however that Larijani, as the head of Parliament’s conservative faction, has always insisted that all factions participate in the politics of the Islamic Republic.
The announcement says Parliament will file a complaint against the news agency that made the earlier report.
On Wednesday ILNA cited an informed source when it reported that Larijani has had secret meetings with "moderate and reformist figures" and has urged reformists to join the coming election in order to achieve a Parliament more functional than the current one.
Mohammad Khatami, a former president and a top reformist figure, has said reformists can only consider taking part in the upcoming elections if three conditions are met: the release of all all political prisoners; political parties must once again be allowed to engage in political activity; and the elections must be carried out with utter transparency.
