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In Sadighi's view, this would be a first step in the Shah's evolution to a constitutional monarch. Such a status was envisioned by Iran's 1906 constitution, which was adapted from the Belgian constitution but has been largely ignored since the Pahlavi dynasty was founded 5 years ago by the Shah's father.
Sadighi has many of the qualities the Shah is seeking. He is widely respected, has no previous links with the current regime, and is not connected with the recent corruption scandals. Whether he can form a Cabinet is another question. He has no chance of winning the support of such powerful religious leaders as the exiled Ayatullah Khomeini, who will accept nothing less than the Shah's ouster. In an interview at his refuge near Paris, Khomeini explained to TIME Correspondent Benjamin Cate: "The Shah is the source of the trouble and chaos. He is not seeking a solution to the problem; he is looking to escape from the situation in order to come back with more power. So negotiations are meaningless."
Nor would Sadighi get any help from Karim Sanjabi, head of the opposition National Front, of which Sadighi is also a member. After learning that Sadighi had been conferring with the Shah, Sanjabi expelled him from the organization. There are a few moderate politicians who are less hostile to Sadighi's attempts to form a government. One is Ahmad Baniahmad, 46, an opposition M.P. "We reserve judgment until Sadighi has published a program and named a Cabinet," says Baniahmad. "Sadighi is the Shah's solution, not the people's and not the Ayatullahs'. But he is not tainted with corruption."
All opposition leaders agree on one thing: the Shah must make a major concession. "The minimum is that the Shah must be eclipsed," says Baniahmad. "Perhaps he could go on a long voyage." While the Shah is reportedly ready to accept some of Sadighi's conditions, he has so far balked at the idea of being replaced by a regency council that would rule in the name of his 18-year-old son, Crown Prince Reza. Snaps a palace adviser: "There is no discussion of a regency council, and there will be none."