TEHRAN President Seyed Mohammad Khatami yesterday addressed a gathering on the occasion of the Student Day. However, the gathering was marred by certain shameful slogans chanted by some in the crowd.

President Khatami won the 1997 presidential election on the platform of the rule of law' and a civil society'. But it is very unfortunate that some elements claiming to support the president voice some shameful words that are not endorsed by the law, nor are they in conformity with the principles of a civil society.

It is also surprising that while the president has proposed dialogue as the best means of ironing out differences of opinion, some claiming to belong to the president's camp are resorting to insults and foul language.

Such practices by some of the so-called supporters of the president will only weaken the rule of law and slow down the president's campaign for the establishment of a civil society

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