The press in Iran today can claim to be one of the freest. Proof is the number of newspapers and periodicals in circulation reporting on domestic and international events with great enthusiasm. The development is not only encouraging, but is also a barometer of people's growing interest in the affairs of government and society. Justice is best served when people make decisions or base their opinions on an awareness of facts. Moreover, the truth that is served by a dynamic press becomes a weapon to force government accountability. The most important role of the press is to function as a watchdog of official conduct, i.e., to see to it that officials (both in the government and in the private sector) exercise their duties and wield their powers in the context of the law and their legal authority. In other words, a free and dynamic press contributes to the growth of a clean society characterized by the accountability of government servants in all aspects of service. That democracy is alive and working well in this country was demonstrated in the May 23 Presidential election. Who could dispute that the election was absolutely free and fair? Thanks to broad domestic and international press coverage, the results caught people, both here and abroad who strongly confirm the fairness of elections here, though by surprise. Almost every clique inside and outside the country was sure that the Parliament Speaker would be the next president after Hashemi Rafsanjani. But as it turned out, President Khatami was elected in what was indisputably a free and fair election. Worth mentioning here is that his victory may not be attributed to any political party as there is none in this country. In a democracy, political parties often take the limelight during an election. They function to support a candidate who crystallizes a group's ideas as to how government should be run and who then gets the support of the party in the election. Ideally, a party's platform should be transparent so that the candidate of its choice, once elected, can be called upon to live up to that platform. In the absence of political parties, the press takes on the role of the press in crystallizing issues. Unlike the press, however, which should be unbiased in presenting issues, political parties work to convince voters to support particular causes, right or wrong. It is in this aspect that the press differs from political parties, but both share in the same noble responsibility of creating a just and enlightened society. Indeed it is the right of the press to watch government performance. The magnitude of the press responsibility calls for it to be vigilant above all else, i.e., to be deterred only by whatever harms national interest or promotes falsehood. It should be borne in mind that it is not very difficult to define what redounds to the national interest for the constitution is there to serve as a beacon to all pressmen in case of doubt. Pressmen shoulder a heavy responsibility at this crucial juncture of our history. They must not miss the golden opportunity of being active participants in the shaping of our destiny.