Iran parliament hit with mass resignations

MORE than a third of the Iranian parliament resigned yesterday and the speaker delivered a stinging rebuke to the hard-line Guardian Council for its disqualification of hundreds of liberal candidates in upcoming elections.

A letter of resignation was submitted to parliamentary speaker Mahdi Karroubi by reformists, who said they could not go ahead with the February 20 vote. It was initially signed by 109 liberal legislators, but later grew to 117 members.

In a letter read aloud in the 290-seat Majlis, or parliament, liberal lawmaker Rajab Ali Mazrouie said that the result of elections held under restrictions imposed by the hard-liners would be a foregone conclusion.