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Many observers see the current political discourse in Iran as a debate about Islamic democracy, rule of law, civil society, and reforms. They consider President Mohammad Khatami’s reforms part of the process of transforming Ayatollah Khomeini’s theocracy into a relatively democratic and tolerant state. The reformists’ success was affirmed by the elections for the sixth Majlis (parliament) in April of 2000. Western proponents of reform even compared Khatami to Mikhail Gorbachev and encouraged dialogue and increasing economic ties. Japan and Western Europe pursue the approach of “constructive engagement policy,” with a cautionary note to not jeopardize Khatami’s position in the factional infighting in Iran. Even the Clinton Administration shifted from dual containment to engagement in 1997, when the United States offered to enter into dialogue with authorized representatives of the Iranian Government without preconditions. This all supports the idea that there is a healthy political debate between “reformers” and “hardliners” in an emerging democracy.
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