Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - July 5, 2000 - Ali Akbar Velayati’s Proposals for New Members in the Expediency Council and Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution to Prevent a Reformist Majority

Mr. [Ali Akbar] Velayati, [Advisor to the Supreme Leader on International Affairs], visited and offered proposals regarding the members of the Expediency Council and the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, aiming to ensure that the majority would not fall into the hands of the reformists. He also discussed the challenges posed by the hardline reformists of the Second of Khordad movement and mentioned the possibility of his candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.

Dr. Velayati mentioned that Mr. [Seyed Mohammad] Khatami, [President of Iran], wanted the representative of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution on the Press Supervisory Board to be from his own faction and had suggested Mr. [Ali] Montazeri, President of the Academic Jihad. However, since the rival candidate, Mr. [Shahabuddin] Sadr, proposed by the opposing faction, was elected, the decision was postponed to the next session.

My brother Mohammad, [Vice President and head of the Central Council of the Executives of Construction Party], and his son Ali came for a visit. Mohammad said the right-wing faction had invited him to a meeting for national reconciliation and sought my advice. Ali mentioned that with the help of some friends, they had launched an internet platform by obtaining a line from the telecommunications company, and they had already attracted around two thousand subscribers in a short period. Mohammad was preparing for a trip to Kohgiluyeh [and Boyer-Ahmad] with President Khatami.

At noon, Mohsen [Managing Director of Tehran Metro] came and reported that around 200 clerics and Friday prayer leaders had visited the metro lines [Line 5, Line 2, and the tunnels under construction]. After visiting the Lead and Zinc Factory in Zanjan, they boarded the metro from Karaj and traveled to Imam Square. They were impressed by the scale of the project, praising the efforts made, saying, "He [Hashemi] brought honor to the revolution and the clergy, and without his work, the country's condition would have been unclear."

Today, in Abadan, due to the salinization of the Arvand and Bahmanshir rivers and the lack of fresh water supply by tankers, people rioted and caused significant damage to government institutions and shops. Due to drought, the flow of the Karun River has decreased, and the pressure from seawater has worsened the situation in the Arvand and Bahmanshir rivers. The government had not planned adequately. During the construction administration, a project was underway to guarantee a permanent supply of fresh water to Abadan and Khorramshahr. Yesterday, in Iranshahr [in Sistan and Baluchestan province], people rioted after a man was killed by smugglers. With the weakening of law enforcement and security forces, criminals have become emboldened.

In Chechnya, although the formal war has ended, Muslim fighters have begun guerrilla, explosive, and suicide attacks.