Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - March 29, 2000 - Consultation with Sheikh Mohammad Reza Abbasi-Fard and Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, then Legal Members of the Guardian Council Regarding the Recount of Tehran’s Votes

Continuation of Hashemi’s New Year visits and noteworthy observations from these interactions.

Consultation with Sheikh Mohammad Reza Abbasi-Fard and Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, legal members of the Guardian Council, regarding the recount of Tehran's votes.

Today, a significant portion of my time was again spent on New Year visits. There are many visitors, most of whom are government officials. Despite limiting the time for appointments, some still come outside of the scheduled hours.

Mr. Rasoul Zargar, Deputy Minister of Water at the Ministry of Energy, mentioned that eight dams are set to be inaugurated in the coming weeks, and the important Shirvan project is actively under study.

The Deputy Minister of Roads and Transportation discussed their major projects, particularly the highways and the Kandovan Tunnel, where expansion efforts at a certain point have encountered difficulties. While 1,800 meters have been completed, 60 meters are problematic due to an active fault line and unstable soil that flows down from the mountain, creating ongoing challenges.

Deputies from the Ministry of Jihad for Construction also provided updates on shrimp farming projects, which are of particular interest to me. Mr. Mohammad Reza Abbasi-Fard and Mr. Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, two members of the Guardian Council, consulted with me on the recounting of Tehran's votes. I advised that it would be best to proceed with the recount to remove any doubts.

The failure of OPEC negotiations has led to a drop in oil prices, marking a significant victory for the United States. Nine members have decided to return to pre-restriction production levels, with Saudi Arabia playing a key role in implementing U.S. policies. Naturally, we and other members who opposed the increase in production will have no choice but to raise our output as well, as others will flood the market, rendering our restraint ineffective. I stayed in my office at night, feeling slightly unwell, and took pain relief before sleeping.