Bani-Sadr's resignation offered, Iran paper says

Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr has told Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini he will resign whenever he wants him to, a Tehran newspaper reported Sunday. The paper, Bamdad, said Mr. Bani-Sadr had given Khomeini his resignation to be accepted at the Ayatollah's pleasure.

Mr. Bani-Sadr, a moderate, also was reported to have told Ayatollah Khomeini he must have more power if he is to be held responsible for the actions of government ministers.

The statements apparently were a reaction to the Ayatollah's severe criticism of the Bani-Sadr government for moving too slowly to solve the country's problems. The Ayatollah said last week, "If they [government leaders] are unable to act, let them quit so that we can find individuals who are not ineffective." He went so far as to threaten "antirevolutionaries" in the government with the firing squad if they continue to use office stationery left over from the regime of the deposed Shah.