Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Memoirs - December 27, 1999 Hossein Marashi followed up on the request for clemency for Gholamhossein Karbaschi and provided a report on election campaign activities.

Hossein Marashi followed up on the request for clemency for Gholamhossein Karbaschi and provided a report on election campaign activities.

The Indian government, under pressure from the families of the passengers on the hijacked plane, was forced to abandon its indifferent stance and send a delegation to Kandahar to negotiate with the hijackers, also seeking Iran's assistance. As of 10:30 PM, no results had been achieved. The hijackers are demanding the release of 13 Kashmiri prisoners, and a war of words has erupted between Pakistan and India, with each accusing the other of cooperating with the hijackers. A severe storm has swept across Europe, causing hundreds of deaths and extensive damage, with wind speeds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour in some areas.

In the morning, I continued my interview with Mr. [Masoud] Safiri, [Editor-in-Chief of Akhbar newspaper], discussing the successful and effective policies of the Reconstruction Government and the Iraq-Kuwait war. I criticized the extreme and incorrect left-wing view that Iraq should be supported in this conflict.

Mr. [Amir] Tehrani, Deputy Minister of Intelligence, came and reported that the announcement of my candidacy had sparked enthusiasm and hope among religious forces loyal to the revolution. In many mosques, the news was welcomed with prayers and chants. Their anxiety about the revolution’s future has diminished, and they perceive my candidacy as a major sacrifice to strengthen the revolution and marginalize opposition forces. He expressed concern about the state of the Ministry of Intelligence due to the Minister's submission to leftist pressures and the ongoing strain from the issue of the murders. He said many key personnel in the Ministry were demotivated and disheartened.

Mr. [Hossein] Marashi, [representative of Kerman and Deputy Secretary-General of the Executives of Construction Party], came to follow up on Mr. [Gholamhossein] Karbaschi’s clemency request and to report on election activities. He mentioned that Fa’ezeh's comments in a closed party meeting had been leaked by a leftist informant and published by the Sobh-e Emrooz newspaper, creating a media stir. In that meeting, Fa’ezeh had harshly criticized the left-wing extremists, blaming them for the country's post-revolution problems and questioning their slogans of civil society and rule of law. She also criticized parts of Mr. [Abdollah] Nouri’s defense. The leftists have taken a defensive stance, while the right-wing is benefiting from the situation.

In the evening, a group of Quran reciters visited, performed, and stayed for Iftar. The event was broadcast live on Radio Quran. Several reciters from Pakistan and Syria were also present. One of the Quran masters from Mashhad said that he had come to Tehran specifically to attend this event and express the gratitude of the reciters of Mashhad for my candidacy in the elections. He said that people see my participation as the only way to protect the nation from recent anti-revolutionary threats and are pleased. I gave a brief speech to them.