TEHRAN The "Reform Parliament", as it is called, has not been able to fulfill the expectations of millions of Iranians, who gave it the necessary mandate to carry out the reforms.

"The Sixth Majlis should begin by reforming itself," said an analyst, referring to the failure of the Majlis on Thursday to hold a session on a sensitive issue, namely the budget bill.

The Parliament was due to hold a joint session with the Guardian Council on Thursday afternoon to study the final draft of the next year's budget recently passed by the lawmakers. But it could not reach the needed quorum to hold an official session, as some 74 MPs did not turn up.

"How can a Parliament which is not disciplined itself bring about reforms and order to our society?" the analyst asked. "Indeed, if one looks at the report card of the Sixth Majlis, one can easily realize that something is wrong."

"On the one hand, the MPs have been raising a hue and cry about the Parliament's right to scrutinize everything, ranging from the treatment of the prisoners to the performance of the Judiciary, IRIB, foundations, etc. On the other hand, they simply reject the right of the Majlis to see a copy of the oil agreements signed between Iran and foreign companies," he added.

Even Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi was infuriated and went so far as to question the lawfulness of the salaries the MPs receive. "What kind of responsibility do we have? What kind of salary do we receive?" he said, adding that what the MPs did was unprecedented throughout the history of the Parliament in post-revolution era.

"An institution like the Parliament should not be insulted or disrespected," Karrubi said. "Democratic gentlemen! This practice is not good for us. It will only tarnish our prestige," the speaker lamented.

An MP from Isfahan, Rajab-Ali Mazrouei, said that there is no mechanism to punish the absent MPs and objected to Karrubi's language. But, addressing Mazrouei, another MP, Nour-Mohammad Abousheh, said, "Most of the absent MPs belong to your faction. Thus, you cannot object to the speaker's remarks."

The Presiding Board of the Majlis announced the names of the 74 absent MPs and said that they must attend the parliamentary session on Saturday morning.

The 456.233 trillion rial budget bill for the next year ending March 2002, proposed by government to the Majlis, received the final ratification from the legislature on Thursday morning.

The open session of the Majlis, presided over by Speaker Mahdi Karrubi, ratified articles, notes, paragraphs and tables of the bill.

Government's general budget constitutes 164.921 trillion rials of the total figure, while 141.409 trillion rials pertains to general revenues.

Based on the approval, the budget of government companies and banks as well as profit institutes, affiliated to the government, amounts to 300.206 trillion rials.

Under the bill, the government will be authorized to earn money from sources specified in the bill in order to meet the expenses of ministries and state-run institutions in accordance with laws and regulations.

Moreover, the government will have to observe law and regulations concerning companies, banks and profit institutions in earning revenues and meeting the expenses of government companies, banks and profit institutions, affiliated to the government.