Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - July 26, 2000 - Hassan Rouhani’s Political Consultations and the Repercussions of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s Announcement to Run Again for President

Report by Tehran Friday Prayer Committee Officials
Meeting with Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Mohaghegh Damad and Ahmad Marashi
Hassan Rouhani’s Political Consultations and the Repercussions of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s Candidacy for the Next Presidential Election
Finally, the Sudden Announcement of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, Without Consulting Ayatollah Khamenei, to Run for the Next Presidential Election

Officials from the Tehran Friday Prayer Committee came. Mr. [Javad] Maqsoudi [Head of Tehran Friday Prayer Committee] gave a report and mentioned that out of 1,090 Friday prayers held so far, I have led 315 of them. The rest were led by Ayatollahs [Seyyed Mahmoud] Taleghani, [Hossein-Ali] Montazeri, [Abdolkarim Mousavi] Ardebili, [Seyyed Ali] Khamenei, [Mehdi] Rabani-Amlashi, [Mohammad] Emami-Kashani, [Ahmad] Jannati, [Mohammad] Yazdi, [Mohammad-Reza] Mahdavi-Kani. I also gave an extensive talk about the importance and impact of Friday prayers and the duties of the Imams of Friday prayers.

Mr. Seyyed Ali Mohaghegh [Damad, former member of the Supreme Council of Management of the Seminary in Qom] and Ahmad Agha Marashi came. Mr. Mohaghegh recounted his discussions with the Supreme Leader, expressing concern about the state of the country, ongoing conflicts, and the situation of the Qom Seminary. He criticized the negative role of the Mo’talefeh faction and sought assistance for the hospital he has built in Qom for operational expenses and equipment.

He asked me to intervene to help resolve the country's problems. I explained the factors behind the problems and clarified some of the inaccuracies in his statements. He attributes political unrest in the seminary to the interference of parties and the Supreme Leader's office. He believes that if the Mo’talefeh faction, the IRGC, and the Ministry of Intelligence didn’t interfere, such incidents would not occur in the seminary. He mentioned that groups like the Imam Sadegh Brigade and students from some affiliated schools take orders from outside the seminary.

In the afternoon, Dr. [Hassan] Rouhani [Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council] came. We discussed matters related to the Strategic Research Center [of the Expediency Discernment Council] and the upcoming presidential election. We talked about the potential consequences of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s participation or absence in the race. Dr. Rouhani said that the reformists intend to incorporate their objectives into Khatami’s campaign slogans and present the public’s vote as a referendum, after which they will insist on implementing those goals.

Today, Mr. Khatami [the President] announced during a gathering of academics that he will run in the upcoming presidential election, ending the speculation. Meanwhile, potential repercussions of the failure of the Camp David II talks are being discussed in the media, with both sides blaming each other, and there is a risk of escalating tensions.