TEHRAN – Former president Mohammad Khatami has said all the problems will not be resolved ‘overnight’ and that no government can do a ‘miracle’, the public relations office of the Baran Foundation said in statement on Monday.

Khatami expressed his dissatisfaction over the economic policies which in his view are not within the framework of the 20-Year Outlook Plan.
“Surely, we are not in a good situation; we have taken a greater departure from the goals of the Outlook Plan… and there is a great worry,” Khatami told a group of reporters on Reporters Day.
Khatami said all Iranians ‘want development’ but there will be no economic prosperity without a productive economy, professional workforce, an export-driven economy, a use of technology, and investment.
However, the former president said all these things will not happen ‘overnight’. “Any government which takes the office cannot do a miracle.”
He said even when a government is elected enthusiastically by people after a short while the people’s expectations of that government will come up and if that government has everything in its command it can meet the people’s demands to some extent but if it faces some hurdles the problems will rise.
Khatami again evades questions about presidency
Khatami again left people guessing about his nomination for the 2009 presidential election by saying that he is not ‘unhappy’ with his current job of chairing the Center for Dialogue between Civilizations and Cultures.
“The situation is not so clear though we all have duty toward Iran and revolution and should do our responsibility well,” Khatami said when asked whether he will run for president.
“I am personally not unhappy about my situation; I have some beliefs and… which I cannot give them up.”
“I will spare no effort in defending peace, ethics, and criticism of extremism and violence and also defending the reputation of the great Iranian nation,” the Baran (Rain) Foundation quoted Khatami as saying.
Tough fight
Khatami predicted that there will be a ‘tough fight’ between rival groups in next year’s presidential election. The issues should be viewed cleverly and one should state his position clearly.”
“I think that there will be a tough fight that which view want to govern the people.