Some 60 Majlis deputies on Wednesday asked the presiding board of Parliament to postpone for two weeks electing three legal experts to the Guardian Council, so that the MPs may get more acquainted with the nominees presented to the chamber by the Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.

However, some lawmakers have already expressed their disapproval of the candidates presented by the Judiciary chief on the grounds that they are young!

One of those opposing the nominees on the grounds of their age was MP Mohammad Nai'mipour, who told the chamber on Tuesday that the proposed nominees are very young and, therefore, not fit for the job!

Another MP who expressed a similar view was the Tehran representative and head of National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Mohsen Mirdamadi. Interestingly, both MPs opposing the nominees on the grounds of their age are members of the Khordad 2 Front, established after President Khatami took office in 1997 in order to follow up on his reform programs.

The fact is that one of the main programs on Khatami's agenda was preparing the ground for greater participation of young people in political, social and cultural spheres. That is why he managed to obtain almost all the votes cast by young people in both seventh and eighth presidential elections.

Thus, it is really interesting that some members of Khordad 2 Front who are supposed to back and promote Khatami's aspirations, including his promise of appointing qualified young people to government positions, are now opposing some qualified candidates on the grounds that they are young!

This contradiction cannot be explained unless it is construed as an instance of factionalism and party politics. It seems that for some members of Parliament any excuse is valid in order to oppose their rivals even if should mean engaging in contradictions and petty excuses.

The behavior and actions of some members of Parliament who pride themselves at having open minds and reformist visions are in complete contrast to their stated and announced positions. The time has come for a stop to these childish and immature actions and pronouncements. They will do well to get down for once to doing some serious and useful legislative work for which they were given their mandate by the people.