TEHRAN - Our people are not in hibernation, they would not be deceived once again to vote for the impotent people, a member of the Tehran City Council, Mohammad-Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, said on Wednesday while addressing those who pose as democrats and ask the people to participate in the upcoming elections.

"If I were sure that our resignation would force the Interior Minister Abdulvahed Mousavi Lari to dismiss the Tehran Mayor Mohammad Hassan Malek-Madani, I would have definitely done so, but I doubt it," he said.

He strongly lashed out at his colleagues who had refused to attend the council's sessions in a show of solidarity with Tehran mayor.

Asgharzadeh said that such behavior was a clear manifestation of hypocrisy practiced by certain reformers who had deceived the public in their efforts to enter the council. They have turned the Tehran City Council into their own Achilles heels after the May 1997 elections, he stressed.

Those who only think of going on foreign trips, or are merely concerned with changing the names of the streets are just like dead bodies, he said adding, they should be put in coffins and returned to the people.

Under the black asphalt of this city, a number of sweet, attractive contracts are hidden whose billion rials of interests go to the pockets of the builders of skyscrapers or sons of top clergies.

The Secretary General of the Solidarity Party said some of the financial activities of the Tehran Municipality are related to the upcoming local councils elections. He expressed concern over the probable plots to create problems for the capital.

Some of the councilmen do not have a spirit of team work and lack ethical soundness, he said.

The council's yesterday session could not be convened due to the absence of some of its members. The head of the council, Abbas Dozdozdani, announced, if it becomes certain that the council cannot form a quorum, the central arbitrary council will dissolve the Tehran City Council.