Iran pres. candidate urged to start party

TEHRAN, July 6 (UPI) -- Allies of Mir-Hossein Mousavi, a defeated candidate in Iran's disputed presidential election, are encouraging the leader to found a political party.

Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hossein Mousavi-Tabrizi, leader of the Association of Researchers and Tutors of the Qom Seminary, told the Iranian Labor News Agency he would like to see Mousavi, who ran against incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an independent, start a political party.

"Having (political) parties in any country is a prelude to establishing and strengthening democracy," Mousavi-Tabrizi said. "If people such as Mousavi want to set up strong political parties, this will be a good and worthy step, and must be welcomed, for naturally these parties will operate within the framework of the law."

Mohammad Salamati, general secretary of the Islamic Revolution's Mujahedin Organization, which supported Mousavi's presidential bid, said the former candidate "has many supporters whose organization requires a party."

"Political parties are different from (political) groupings that do different things and have a lot of power, but are not answerable for their actions," Salamati said.