TEHRAN "Let's do something for freedom and let's prevent party autocracy. As long as I hold this position, I will never act partially, and I will always defend the prestige of the Majlis," said the Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi on Sunday.

Karrubi made these remarks in response to some Majlis deputies who criticized his report to President Mohammad Khatami on the performance of Physical Education Organization (PEO) and the outcome of investigations into the reasons for recent athletic setbacks.

The parliamentary Cultural Commission Chairman, Ahmad Pournejati, said that the report should have been prepared by the organization in charge of athletic affairs. He also claimed that the report had been politically motivated.

Furthermore, another Majlis deputy Ahmad Nateq Nouri said that the Majlis speaker was the only person to task the committee with the investigations, and that the deputies had no part in this regard.

Nouri, who is also the head of Boxing Federation, said that Karrubi should announce that the letter was of a personal natural and that it had nothing to do with the Majlis commissions for cultural and sports affairs.

Responding to these criticisms, Karrubi said that it is within his scope of authority to appoint a particular person or committee to probe into a certain case.

He added that he had not commented on the veracity or falseness of the report, and that he had nothing to do with the ballyhoo raised by radio or television in this regard.

Another Majlis deputy, Mohsen Safaei-Farahani, who is also the president of Football Federation, said that Karrubi was informed by the Majlis Cultural Commission when he was going to task the committee about the insufficient budget allocated to the Physical Education Organization.

He also said that he considered the report as politically motivated, adding that the report was prepared when the head of the PEO was going to be appointed.

Meanwhile, Karrubi asked the deputies why they expect him to probe into the performance of the Judiciary, the Prisons Organization and IRIB, but they deny his right to investigate the performance of the Physical Education Organization.

He added that all the Majlis deputies should know that he would perform his duty well and would never neglect it. Karrubi also denied the charges that the report was politically motivated.