The Iranian nation, for the first time in history, went to the polling booths to elect city councils in Feb. 1999. People had the impression that the affairs of the cities and towns would be handled properly by the elected officials.

Even in Tehran, 1,400 people entered the race for 15 City Council seats, a fact that confirms that extraordinary enthusiasm existed among the hopefuls and the voters.

In the democratic process, city councils play a significant role in promoting people's participation in local affairs.

Unfortunately, the people are angry and disappointed at the way the city councilors are carrying out their duties. In Tehran, the traffic jams are as bad as ever and there are very many other problems people are facing. Serious problems exist in the other cities and towns, too.

At the same time, the councilors are busy in factional bickering and they are not paying the least attention to the cities' problems.

Tehran Municipality Mayor Morteza Alviri is being made a target. So much so that the mayor is uncertain about his future and cannot work with peace of mind.

Due to factional fighting, several councilors in many cities and towns have resigned in protest. According to a report, the Tehran City Council formed a three-man committee to assess the councilors performances, a move that was heavily criticized by the people. They rightly say that the assessment of the councilors' performance must be made by outsiders and not by themselves.

This political and factional fighting among city councilors is damaging the people's image of democracy.

City councils must deal with the affairs of the cities and towns and avoid factional bickering.