Khomeiny appeals to Bani-Sadr to stay as ‘thinker’

Press, 24 June 1981, Page 8

Khomeiny appeals to Bani-Sadr to stay as ‘thinker’

NZPA • Beirut Ayatollah Khomeiny has appealed to the sacked President Bani-Sadr to return to the fold of Iran's Islamic Revolution as a theoretician. Teheran Radio has reported.

“It would be in your best interest to repent and return freed from corrupt and criminal cliques to serve as a thinker and writer." said the 81-year-old revolutionary patriarch in a one-hour prerecorded speech broadcast bv the State radio.

The Ayatollah also pleaded with the first elected President of Iran after 25 centuries of monarchy not to join opposition movements abroad.. ■ ■ "I now advise Mr BaniSadr not to fall, into the trap of those groups abroad who are lying in. ambush to disgrace’ what is left of your honour." Khomeiny said. "I would like you not to destroy yourself any further."

Mr Bani-Sadr. a 48-year-old French-trained economist. was Ayatollah Khomeiny's portege in the days when both struggled from abroad against the late Shah.

He is the son of a Muslim clergyman himself. Now he is a fugitive sought by millions of Iranians after an arrest-on-sight order by the. revolutionary prosector-general. He has not been seen in public since shortly after his dismissal as armed forces com-mander-in-chief on June 10.

The Egyption Government yesterday-, declined to confirm or deny unoffical reports that President BaniSadr was in Cairo. This official hedging was seen by some correspondents to lend weight to rumours that he w r as in the countrv.

President Sadat? a bitter critic of /Ayatollah Khomeiny. gave-sanctuary to .the late Shah of' Iran -and ;his family after they, fled during the. 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Shah’s son. the former Crown Prince Reza, proclaimed himself the new Shah of Iran last year in Cairo. Ayatollah Khomeiny’s conciliatory tone in his. call to the former President yesterday suggested that he’wants to. avoid further domestic disturbances caused bv. the

presidential crisis. The nation’s secular Leftist and nationalist forces have rallied around the President and last week-end there were violent clashes in Teheran.

The Ayatollah appeared to be promising Mr Bani-Sadr a full pardon when he said: "There is always room for repentance. Repent and take a step toward God and God will accept you. Your honour will return. So will your dignity." The authorities have executed 23 pro-Bani-Sadr people, including a prominent editor, and demonstrators, since the week-end.

The speech was broadcast about two hours after the aging leader terminated Mr Bani-Sadr's 18-month presidency following an overwhelming vote in Parliament that proclaimed him incompetent to stay in . office. The Speaker of Parliament (Hojatoleslam Hashemi Rafsanjani) said a three-man Provisional Council would take over presidential powers under Article 31 ofthe Constitution and arrange for a new presidential election within 50 davs.