Iran parliament ends Khatami row

Tehran - Iran's parliament chose two hardliners for the constitutional watchdog Guardian Council yesterday, ending a bitter row…

Tehran - Iran's parliament chose two hardliners for the constitutional watchdog Guardian Council yesterday, ending a bitter row which had delayed the investiture of President Mohammad Khatami.

The moderate Mr Khatami, re-elected by a landslide in June, is to take his oath of office in parliament today.

He had been due to be sworn in on Sunday, but the ceremony was held up by the row between the hardline judiciary chief and the reformist-led parliament over the election of two new legal experts to the council.

Conservatives had argued that all of the 12 council members must be present for the presidential oath-taking ceremony to be valid.