Every year, Iran marks the return of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to his home country in 1979 with a 10-day celebration that begins on Feb. 1. This year, Iranians will have a special opportunity to ponder the meaning of the Islamic Republic that the Ayatollah created as Iran is in the midst of an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Efforts by conservatives to disqualify liberal candidates in parliamentary elections have set off resignations by more than one-third of the current members of Parliament. This blatant attempt by religious hardliners to undermine democracy in Iran may succeed: Many Iranians appear to have already lost faith in the democratic process and appear indifferent to the machinations.
Iran's Parliament is dominated by reformers who won some 190 of the assembly's 290 seats in the last election. The president, Mr. Mohammad Khatami, is also a reformer, but his attempts to implement liberal reforms have been blocked at almost every turn by religious hardliners. They use the Guardian Council, a body of 12 clerics selected by religious leaders, to vet all laws and elections, rejecting individuals and initiatives that might dilute their power.
Mr. Khatami and the hardliners have butted heads since the president took office in 1997. The latest crisis was set off by a decision by the Guardian Council to disqualify thousands of reform-minded candidates in parliamentary elections that are scheduled to take place Feb. 20.