Since the election of President Khatami in May 1997, Iranian reformists have spoken openly of respecting basic freedoms and the rule of law. In Iranian society generally, many petty social restrictions have been eased. The atmosphere surrounding the current parliamentary election campaign in Iran is notably freer than the last time around, in March 1996. But a number of human rights issues still impede a truly free and fair election in the Islamic Republic, and little has changed in the legal framework by which rights are protected in Iran.