TEHRAN Underfire Deputy Interior Minister Mostafa Tajzadeh appeared in an administrative court Monday for his electoral fraud trial after the court agreed to hold an open' hearing.

All reporters were allowed into the courtroom, but due to shortage of seats, several reporters had to stay outside, an IRNA photographer witnessed.

He had warned that he would again walk out of the court if all reporters are not allowed into the courtroom. Last Wednesday, Tajzadeh stormed out of court to protest the closed proceedings of his hearing.

Only reporters from IRNA and Iran's radio and television network were allowed inside.

He told IRNA Sunday that he is to answer charges of "illegal interference in the last year's parliamentary election affairs" which, he said, may be a new charge.

Tajzadeh, a close confidante of President Mohammad Khatami is being tried on ballot-rigging charges during the last year's parliamentary elections which handed the conservatives a crushing defeat.

Following the February 2000 elections, the oversight body Guardian Council accused the Interior Ministry of tampering with the votes. The 12-member GC and the Interior Ministry were in charge of the elections.

Tajzadeh has also come underfire for his November appointment as supervisor to the presidential elections scheduled for June. Critics predict and claim that he is very much likely to tamper with the ballots at the upcoming presidential elections, as they allege he had done in the previous parliamentary elections.

In the meantime, the trial of Tehran Governor Ayatollah Azarmi, a codefendant of Tajzadeh was postponed Sunday because he is now in bed.

(IRNA)