Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - May 24, 2000 - One-on-One Meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei and No Objection to Hashemi's Withdrawal from the Sixth Parliament

A meeting was held again with Seyed Sadr al-Din Shariati, an observer from the Guardian Council, who provided a report on the elections in the Tehran constituency, confirming that the elections were validated by Ayatollah Khamenei's ruling. The Guardian Council's complaint against the officials of the Ministry of Interior’s electoral headquarters and Tehran province was also discussed.

Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel visited, urging Hashemi to participate in the Sixth Parliament.

Participation in the ceremony marking the anniversary of the liberation of Khorramshahr on May 24th.

A one-on-one meeting was held with Ayatollah Khamenei, who did not object to Hashemi's decision to not join the Sixth Parliament, despite believing that his presence in Parliament would be beneficial. Khamenei also expressed frustration over the behavior of reformists, even after the Tehran elections were validated through a governmental decree.

Israeli forces, fearing casualties, withdrew from southern Lebanon earlier than expected. Meanwhile, the South Lebanon Army collapsed, and the Lebanese people returned to the liberated villages and cities with joy and enthusiasm. Hezbollah is celebrating, and the media is humiliating Israel. The gates of Khiam Prison have been opened, and 144 prisoners have been freed.

Mr. [Sadr al-Din] Shariati, the chief inspector of the Guardian Council, visited, bringing documents and statistics of election irregularities. He mentioned ongoing cooperation with the courts to address the violations. Mr. [Zein al-Abedin] Tahmasbi, a candidate in the elections for the Sarvestan constituency, also came, complaining that the Guardian Council had annulled a ballot box, causing his opponent to win.

Dr. [Gholam-Ali] Haddad-Adel, [elected representative of Tehran in the Sixth Parliament], came, expressing disappointment over rumors that I intended not to join Parliament. He said that many representatives were upset about this news and insisted that I stay. I did not give a definitive response. In the afternoon, I went to Hosseiniyeh Ershad for the ceremony commemorating the liberation of Khorramshahr on May 24th, where I delivered a speech to religious groups, preachers, and missionaries; it was a lively gathering.

At night, I was a guest of the Supreme Leader. We discussed my potential presence in Parliament. While he believed that my presence would be beneficial, he did not oppose my withdrawal from the position due to the difficulties it would pose for me. He expressed frustration that, despite his significant support for the reformists in pushing the Guardian Council to validate the Tehran elections, they were still critical of the partial annulment of the ballot boxes. They had benefited from some of the rulings in their favor but opposed those that were not.