IRAN - Jan 25 - Khamenei Orders Parliament To End Impeachments.

Tehran's supreme leader Ayat Ali Khamenei orders the parliament to stop impeaching members of Pres Mohammad Khatami's cabinet, in an apparent effort to curb further confrontations between the two bodies. Political and economic differences between the reformist government and religious radicals in the majlis (parliament) have been intensified in the lead up to presidential elections next summer. Khamenei's open intervention in parliamentary affairs is rare and happens only in very significant issues. In a short letter, Khamenei, who has the last say in all government affairs and is considered close to the conservatives, warned the MPs that further impeachments would bear "no fruits". By law, parliament is obliged to abide by the supreme leader's ruling, and on Jan 25 state TV reported that 234 parliamentarians had written to the eldery Khamenei thanking him for the order. Last October, parliament impeached the minister of transportation, and gave a vote of no confidence to the new nominee for the job earlier this month. Impeachment votes against the ministers of education and interior, who are key to Khatami's reformist policies, had also been on the agenda until yesterday. While giving much needed political support to Khatami, Khamenei nevertheless sided with his parliamentary opponents in another dispute over economic policy. Khamenei implied he was satisfied with a plan floated by parliament to freeze key prices, which the government has warned would balloon the country's budget deficit. Khamenei said: The majlis - thank God - has managed to head to the right direction of considering the country's needs. Preference of the general and basic demands of people over other inclinations and motivations has been the important criteria in this direction. With God's help, the majlis has so far achieved this and must keep insisting on it". Parliament earlier this month approved a plan to freeze the prices of energy byproducts, electricity, water, telecom and postal services for the next Iranian year, starting on March 21. The plan is under study by the constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, for final approval. The government has warned that the approval would result in a budget deficit of 29,000 bn rials plus losses to state-owned companies estimated at 17,000 bn rials. The government has accused parliament of adopting politically motivated policies to win the presidential elections in June. The architect of the plans, Ahmad Tavakkoli, said promotion of social justice and curbing high inflation "to ease the unbearable pressure on the middle and lower classes" was the goal. Analysts believe that the parliament's economic policies and impeachments were warning signals to non-conservative presidential candidates to dissuade them from running or else face difficult days with the parliament. Fifteen prominent economists in a letter to the parliament called its plans "proper propaganda means" but "not scientific and effective ways of carrying out economic policies".