Iran's votes signal desire for change

The election of Mohammed Khatami as Iran's fifth president since the overthrow of the Shah in 1979 has sent a wave of expectation not only through Iran but among its Middle Eastern neighbors. As Iran has been seen as a rogue country supporting international terrorism and a continuous threat to Israel, the election of Khatami has been greeted with both surprise and relief.

Nonetheless, change is likely to be slow. The Ayatollah Khomeini's successor, the Ayatollah Khamenei, has an authority superior to the elected president. In all institutional matters, his word remains law. When the new president selects his ministry, they will be subject to confirmation by the Majlis, the parliament, where the conservatives, including the defeated presidential hopeful, Nateq-Nouri, remain as speaker. It must also be remembered that even if Khatami is as liberal as he appears, he remains a loyal supporter of the religious tradition which has been the motive force of the Iranian Islamic revolution. He is unlikely to pursue a policy which really challenges its stranglehold on Iran.

-- The Australian