Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - March 9, 2000 - Letter to the Guardian Council for Continued Review of Ballot Boxes

Letter to the Guardian Council for continued review of the ballot boxes.

Annulment of elections in Bandar Abbas, Minab, and Gachsaran.

I worked in the Kooshk office until four in the afternoon. Mr. [Mohammad Hasan] Tolayi informed me that after reviewing solutions regarding the Tehran elections and consulting with the Guardian Council, it was decided that if full agreement with the Ministry of Interior could not be reached, further examination of more ballot boxes would proceed under the Guardian Council’s directive.

Mehdi came and shared notable opinions regarding the method of recounting the ballot boxes, as well as insights on the press and universities.

In the evening, Mohsen came by. A letter was drafted to the Guardian Council, proposing the continuation of reviewing the ballot boxes. It was decided that this news should be released. It was announced that the elections in Bandar Abbas, Minab, and Gachsaran had been annulled. Mr. Tolayi mentioned that the Ministry of Interior was agitated and there was a possibility of opposition and public uproar, as it seems they were worried that more similar cases could emerge in the future. In these cases, specific right-wing candidates had been defeated, while hardline left-wing candidates had won, and reports of fraud had surfaced.