Editorial

A Week of Anxiety

This has been a week of apprehension anxiety for the leaders of the Islamic regime.

For the first time since the Islamic Republic's establishment, people attacked the official state-sponsored celebrations for the Iranian revolution's anniversary. This act of defiance is especially significant since the regime uses the revolution's anniversary to celebrate its establishment (though the revolution and its expropriation by the regime are not one and the same). This new development reaffirms that people have bypassed Khatami and are looking to oust the regime.

The recent initiative also exemplifies the regime's political dead-end and the futility of its policy of terror. Today, it is not only the Worker-communist Party of Iran but also officials of the Islamic government, which speak of the real and likely prospect of the regime's downfall. Each faction accuses the other of endangering the regime's foundation and encouraging people to search for other alternatives.

Under these circumstances and with the disintegration of the 'reformist' faction, a new Centre from within the right wing camp is being created. The 'reformist' faction and Khatami will gradually be absorbed in this new Centre. This Centre aims to relieve the crisis and find a way out in the upcoming presidential elections. The Islamic regime has no choice but to search for new internal arrangements to confront the people's movement, which is clearly gaining momentum and becoming more uncompromising. The reformist faction's ordinary supporters will sooner than later join that movement to overthrow the regime.

Mansoor Hekmat

The editorial was first published in Persian in International Weekly No. 41 dated February 16, 2001.