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GV PAN EXTERIOR. Majlis in Teheran
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SCU Speaker of Majlis Mojatoleslam Ratsanjani speaking in Farsi
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SV Member of Majlis speaking in Farsi
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SV Former Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan listening PAN TO Other members
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SV Women listening in gallery
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SCU Former Prime Minister Bazargan listening
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CU ZOOM OUT Member reading paper
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CU Member speaking in Farsi ZOOM OUT TO GV Of Majlis ZOOM IN TO Speaker of Majlis
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Initials AM/



TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Iranian Majlis (Parliament) decided on Tuesday (30 September) to set up a seven-man commission to study the future of the American hostage. But the debate failed to find agreement on who the commission's members should be.

SYNOPSIS: The debate within the Majlis was long and bitter. Despite other critical issues, dominated by Iran's war with Iraq, members spent most of the day wrangling over the brief of the hostage commission.

The delegates decided to form a seven-member commission which will gather evidence but which will have no power to rule on the fate of the Americans.

It was ruled that there should be no deviation from the line of Ayatollah Khomeini .. a vague enough statement to allow for a mullah-supported demand for an apology from the United States.

Who, exactly, will comprise that seven-man commission wasn't decided. That issue was sidetracked by a bitter argument over whether the commission should be allowed to involve American or other foreign officials in it's investigations. Some members held the view that as Ayatollah Khomeini had declared that Iran was at war with America it was wrong to have discussions with enemies. Other delegates argued that it would be dangerous not to contact the United States, since that government held frozen Iranian assets, and wanted to negotiate. But the latter moderate faction was shouted down and the issue failed to be resolved.