Iran Council to review 145;errors146;

The head of Iran8217;s hardline Guardian Council said on Friday that the watchdog panel was willing to reverse any 8216;8216;mistakes8217;8217; made when it banned thousands of liberal candidates from running in parliamentary polls. The Council8217;s move to bar nearly half of the 8,200 hopefuls from standing in the February 20 vote prompted dozens of top government officials to threaten to resign. Reformist parties have said they may boycott the election.

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said the 12-member panel, which has received more than 3,000 complaints from disqualified candidates, would inform candidates of any changes by January 30. 8216;8216;There are misunderstandings about the Council8217;s work,8217;8217; Jannati said in Tehran. 8216;8216;Mistakes are possible. We neither insist on standing by mistakes, nor would we violate the law,8217;8217; he said.

US and European Union officials have criticised the vetting process. Jannati accused them of meddling in Iran8217;s politics. 8216;8216;They want to send whoever they want to Parliament,8217;8217; he said. 8216;8216;They still have the old colonialist approach.8217;8217; Protesting MPs vowed to continue their sit-in as long as 8216;8216;people8217;s right for free elections is not observed8217;8217;, the ISNA Students News Agency reported. 8212;Reuters