TEHRAN – Former president Mohammad Khatami has said he is not certain that reformists need to be in power to work for reform and that is why he has still not tossed his hat in the ring for the 2009 presidential election.

Khatami made the remarks in a meeting with the members of a group that is trying to convince him to run in the election, Khatami’s office said on Sunday.
He said the reforms should have a clear agenda and clear goals so that those who want to join the reformist camp know what reformism means.
“The reason that I have so far not reached a decision on contesting the election is that I believe that first, certain major questions should be answered. It should be determined whether one can institutionalize reforms in society and the country without being in power.”
“It should also be determined what influence we can have on the trend of affairs which would benefit the ideals of the revolution and the interests and demands of the people, whether (we are) in power or not,” Khatami explained.
He also said studies should be conducted to determine which groups enjoy more support in society and how much influence intellectuals, clerics, politicians, and other social groups have, and “more importantly, who would be the better candidate… and if he wins the election, what plans should he have, and, under the current circumstances, would he be able to do any work if he attained power.