Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - February 23, 2000 - Announcement of the Results of the Sixth Parliamentary Election in Tehran, where Akbar Hashemi was ranked 28th

Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Azad University and the resolutions and side discussions of this meeting.

Meeting with Mahdavi, a manager at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Announcement of the results of the Sixth Parliamentary Election in Tehran, where Akbar Hashemi was ranked 28th.

Meeting with the board of directors of the Bushehr Cement Industries.

Meeting with Sheikh Abdullah Nouri during his three-day leave from prison and his report on prison life, as well as suggestions regarding Mohsen Kadivar (for more details, refer to Mohsen Kadivar's note published in Abdi Media).

The Board of Trustees of the Islamic Azad University held a meeting. Several resolutions were made concerning financial, administrative, and organizational matters. New branches and the establishment of an alumni association were approved.

Mr. [Karim] Zare and Mr. [Ali] Abbaspour, who were candidates in Shiraz and Tehran but did not win, and who are also members of the Board of Trustees, explained the situation of the election. After the meeting, Dr. [Abdullah] Jasbi, [President of the Islamic Azad University], stayed and discussed the situation of the next parliament, the number of representatives from each faction, and the second round of the elections. My brother Mohammad, [head of the Central Council of the Executives of Construction Party], also came to discuss the same topics and the position of the Executives of Construction Party. It was decided that their central council would meet tomorrow to determine and clarify future policies.

In the afternoon, Mr. Mahdavi Vaez, [Director General of Parliamentary Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs], came and expressed frustration with the disloyalty of some former colleagues. He said there were rumors that I intended to withdraw and strongly emphasized not to do so. Dr. [Hassan] Rouhani, [Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council], also came, and we discussed the election situation, future possibilities, and solutions for issues arising from the results of the election and the composition of the next parliament. Decisions were made. Almost all of Tehran’s votes have been counted, and I rank 28th. The U.S. government has explicitly expressed hope following the election results.

The board of directors of the Bushehr Cement Industries came and reported on the state of cement production and consumption, as well as ongoing projects. They expressed concern over the government's lack of attention to the cement industry, insufficient investment from banks, and the potential for a cement shortage in the coming years.

In Nigeria, a conflict between Muslims and Christians has erupted in a city, resulting in about 100 deaths and 200 injuries. In the state of Kaduna, where Christians oppose Islamic laws, a member of Nigeria's parliament estimated that the death toll could be as high as 400.

The Chinese government has warned Taiwan that if it is not ready for talks on reunification, it should prepare for war. The U.S. government, in response, warned China that adventurism regarding Taiwan is dangerous and that the U.S. is prepared to redeploy warships to the Taiwan Strait.

Mr. Abdullah Nouri came, having been granted a three-day leave from Evin Prison—the same prison I was in from 1975 to 1977. He spoke about his life in prison, where he is housed with 14 other clerics. He shares meals with [Mohsen] Kadivar and Tajik.

Sheikh Ali Tehrani was recently transferred there. He reportedly criticizes the regime and the leadership constantly, and his views remain the same as when he was in Iraq. He insists that his sentence is unlawful and expects it to be overturned.

Nouri said that the leftist faction is divided over the presidency of the next parliament, and the Assembly of Combatant Clerics is upset due to their diminishing influence. They feel deceived by their leftist allies, particularly the Participation Party and the liberals. He suggested that Mr. Kadivar should be pardoned, as he only has a few months left until his release.

He believes that a significant portion of the leftist faction's votes can be attributed to him, as his trial, arrest, and the publication of his defenses have garnered support, and his imprisonment harms the regime. He stated that his suggestion to meet with the Leader was to explain this, not to resolve his personal issues.