Iranians are bracing for a potentially pivotal parliamentary election February 20. The most closely watched aspect of the election will not be who actually wins the ballot-count, but who turns out to vote. A possible mass boycott could turn the parliamentary election into a referendum on Iran's status quo.
Azerbaijan is counting on the development of the Caspian Basin's energy resources to secure its economic future. Yet a deadlock among Caspian littoral states on a Caspian Sea territorial agreement is viewed as a major obstacle to the development of regional energy exports.
The United States' concern over stability in Central Asia makes American diplomats anxious about Iran's development of nuclear energy plants for two reasons: First, because Iran, which US President George W.
In a decision that may cost him his life, Iranian history professor Hashem Aghajari urged students and supporters on November 15 to abide by the law that has him facing a death sentence for challenging conservative clerics' interpretation of Islam.
Aghajari has become a galvanizing figure in the struggle between reformists allied to President Mohammed Khatami and conservative clerics who control powerful Iranian institutions, including the judicial system. In June, Aghajari made a speech affirming the idea that each generation can interpret Islamic law in its own way.
EurasiaNet: When the president was elected in 1997, there was a lot of hope that [the level of democracy in Iranian politics] would change. Yet many of those hopes have not been fulfilled. Is the President intimidated by all the pressure against him? Faridzadeh: Mr. Khatami is a person who believes in religion.
International news agencies reported on November 4 that Spanish companies will soon sign exploration deals for $1.3 billion in Iranian oil and gas. The reports come on the heels of Iranian President Mohammed Khatami's first official visit to Spain, promoting mutual understanding on more complex issues.
In a dramatic move drawing attention throughout Central Asia, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami submitted two bills to Parliament on September 24 that could curb the political power of Iran's conservatives. The first bill will expand the president's constitutional powers at the expense of the hardliners' veto power. The second would make elections more direct.
