Khatami's reforms run into trouble DUBAI: Just within two months of moderates' victory in the parliamentary elections in Iran, President Mohammed Khatami's reform programmes appear to be in trouble. Concerned over the developing situation, the president on Saturday appealed to both his reformist allies and conservative opponents to stop creating difficulties for his government. ``This country needs calm and stability. The state, nation and different sectors of society have big tasks ahead. This government should not be perpetually entangled in crises, crises which do not have roots'', he told a meeting of Higher education officials. This week was the hardest for the reformist president as Supreme Leader Ayatullah Khamenei twice informed him publicly in less than seven days that some major aspects of his reform agenda were not acceptable and key advocates of change must be tamed before it was too late. The elite Revolutionary Guards also issued a statement warning reformers and liberals to mend their ways or face the wrath of revolutionaries and those fully committed to the fundamentals of the religion. On Thursday, Khamenei told a huge rally of youths that the pro-Reformist print media was on the side of the sworn enemies ``bent on eradicating religious rule in Iran''. (UNI)
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