Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Memoirs - April 1, 1999 - A Tough and Strange Year for the Reformist Government and the Country's Political and Security Climate

 A Tough and Strange Year for the Reformist Government and the Country's Political and Security Climate

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Narrative and Realistic Analysis and Prediction of Ayatollah Khamenei's Nowruz Speech about a Tough and Strange Year for the Reformist Government and the Country's Political and Security Climate.

Meeting with Mostafa Hashemi Taba and Behram Afsharzadeh.

Concerns of Mohammadreza Yazdanpanah about the Implementation of the Supreme Leader's Measures on Kish Island

At 6 am, I witnessed the magnificent view of the sunrise in the east of Kish Island and simultaneously the setting of the near-full moon in the west of the island, which doubled the beauty of the scene. The combination of these two views, on the horizon of the sea, with clear weather, is a rare event. I stayed at the residence all day. With the onset of wind, the slightly humid weather improved.

At the time of the New Year, I listened to the messages. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, expressed concern about the country's situation in his statements. Unlike the usual hopeful Nowruz messages of previous years, he did not mention the government and Mr. Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the president, and deemed their actions to address the people's livelihood issues, which had intensified in the past year, unsuccessful. He emphasized the need for efforts in the coming year to strengthen national unity and security, and alluded to the destructive internal and external factors affecting unity and security. He also expressed doubt about the good intentions of some well-known domestic elements, which undoubtedly refers to those around the government.

In general, yesterday's letter and today's message can be interpreted as a bad sign in the relationship between the Supreme Leader and the president, but the foreign media, which usually interprets such themes, should not fuel it. The left and liberal media, as well as the right-wing media, are not published these days, and these issues remain at the level of rumor, guesswork, and speculation during the Nowruz holidays.

The interpretation and analysis of the effects of Madeleine Albright, the US Secretary of State's statements on Iran continue. Pro-Western circles describe it as positive, while revolutionary forces see it as negative and a setback, especially since it insulted the leadership and called the institution undemocratic. Although the protest against America's mistake in supporting Iraq in the imposed eight-year war, as well as its support for the Shah and assistance in overthrowing the Mosaddegh government on August 19, 1953, is important and positive, it relates to the past.

Her mention of the possibility of seizing some Iranian assets to pay the compensation claims of American claimants is negative, and the possibility of examining the release of Iran's frozen assets is positive, but it is interpreted as a false promise. Explicit support for non-revolutionary forces and, in their own words, "reformists" is considered positive by some and negative by revolutionaries! It was expected that the Supreme Leader and the president would say something about this in their New Year's messages; they did not.

Guards, office staff, and families came to congratulate me on the New Year. I gave each of the employees and guards 5,000 tomans and 1,000 tomans to my own children as Eidi (New Year's gift).

Mr. Mostafa Hashemi Taba, the head of the Physical Education Organization, and his family, along with Mr. Behram Afsharzadeh, the head of Kish sports, came. They said that the plan to build 1377 sports halls, which started in the second development plan of the Construction government, is an unprecedented step in the history of Iranian sports that has made most cities self-sufficient and is still ongoing.

Kish sports have also become active.

Mr. Mohammadreza Yazdanpanah, the CEO of Kish Free Zone and his deputies also came. They reported on the status of Kish and said that 70% of the revenues were realized in 1378. Fewer tourists came than in 1377, which was also less than in 1376. They are deeply worried about the implementation of the Supreme Leader's order. After a report on the cultural situation of the island was submitted to him and inspectors were dispatched, and a final report indicating cultural and moral flaws was submitted, the Supreme Leader has ordered that it be corrected within a week. I told them that the main challenge this year is cultural issues; they should be careful and vigilant.