Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - April 29, 2000 - Meeting with Nateq Nouri, Jannati, and Ali Larijani Regarding Tehran Elections and a Decision to Follow Legal Procedures

A meeting was held with Nateq Nouri, Jannati, and Ali Larijani to discuss the Tehran elections and make a decision to act according to the law (it seems this referred to the possibility of annulment, which ultimately did not happen due to the intervention of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic).

Support and gratitude expressed by Sheikh Ahmad Jannati for Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Friday sermon and for supporting Ayatollah Khamenei's stance on the press and criticism of the reformists.

A visit from Sheikh Hassan Sanei, who expressed his concerns about the reformists and President Khatami, and encouraged Hashemi to re-enter the political scene (likely referring to the upcoming 2001 presidential election).

Hassan Rouhani's criticism of the deputies at the Center for Strategic Research, as in an unusual situation, the appointments for the deputies of that center were made by the head of the Expediency Council rather than the head of the center, leading to a lack of coordination between the head and the deputies at the time.

A meeting with Alireza Shirani, Director of the Chabahar Free Zone Organization.

A meeting with Seyyed Hassan Tabatabaei, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, who requested Hashemi's intervention to recommend to Central Bank Governor Nourbakhsh regarding project approvals.

A meeting with Alireza Sheikh Attar and Mehdi Mostafavi, members of the election recount delegation appointed by the Guardian Council.

A meeting with Seyyed Hossein Marashi, who conveyed the reformists' regret over their harsh treatment of Hashemi and consulted on resolving the disagreements between Mohammad Hashemi and Gholamhossein Karbaschi.

Mr. [Ali Akbar] Nateq Nouri, [Speaker of the Parliament], Mr. [Ahmad] Jannati, [Secretary of the Guardian Council], and Mr. [Ali] Larijani, [Head of IRIB], came. We discussed the Tehran elections, and the consensus was to act in accordance with the law, disregarding political influences. Mr. Jannati mentioned that significant violations had been observed in the ballot boxes, but further investigations were required. He expressed his gratitude for my Friday sermon. A joint meeting of the infrastructure, cultural, and political commissions of the [Expediency Council] was held, where discussions on communication and general policies took place but remained unfinished.

Mr. Hassan Sanei, [Head of the 15th of Khordad Foundation], came. He expressed concern about the reformists' actions towards the revolution and said that Mr. [Mohammad] Khatami, [President], lacks effectiveness and is powerless against his supporters. He reminded me that in the final days of my executive responsibility, I had stated that the current policies were irreversible and that if problems arose, I would intervene again. He asked why I do not now engage seriously in the political arena.

Dr. [Hassan] Rouhani, [Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Head of the Center for Strategic Research of the Expediency Council], came. We discussed my Friday sermon, the press, the Tehran elections, and the future parliament. He criticized the deputies of the Center, saying that because they are appointed by me, they do not pay much attention to his management.

In the afternoon, Mr. [Alireza] Shirani, Director of the Chabahar Free Zone Organization, came and reported on the progress of the work. He requested that I visit the region for the inauguration of projects, which would boost staff morale, given that I was the founder of the area. Mr. [Seyyed Hassan] Tabatabaei, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, came and reported on the progress of the Khuzestan sugarcane project and asked me to speak to Mr. [Mohsen] Nourbakhsh, [Governor of the Central Bank], to approve the initiation of paper industry projects there. He brought the overall agricultural plans for Khuzestan province. He complained about the lack of publicity for the project at the inauguration of the first sugar factory and thanked me for making up for it in my sermon.

Mr. [Alireza] Sheikh Attar and Mr. [Mehdi] Mostafavi, [members of the three-person recount delegation] appointed by the Guardian Council to reexamine the Tehran election, came. They presented examples of violations and thanked me for my Friday sermon. Mr. [Hossein] Marashi, [representative of Kerman], came and mentioned that some of the reformists, without any real reason, believe that I am behind the press shutdowns, and in their meetings, they express regret for their negative treatment of me. He sought my advice on how to handle the differences between Mohammad [Hashemi, Head of the Central Council of the Executives of Construction Party] and [Gholamhossein] Karbaschi, [Secretary-General of the Party], in the Executives of Construction Party.