Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - February 28, 2000 - Continued Election Consultations with Ali Larijani

Consultative Meeting with Faqihi from Entekhab Newspaper

Meeting with Seyed Mohammad Mirmohammadi, Deputy Chief of Ayatollah Khamenei's Office, and Election Proposals

Meeting with Commander Seyed Mohammad Hossein Zadeh Hejazi and His Companions, and Hashemi’s Recommendations to Them

Meeting with Mousavi Khorasani, Friday Prayer Leader, and Dana, Former Representative of Abadeh in Parliament

Continued Election Consultations with Ali Larijani

Mr. [Mohammad Mehdi] Faqihi, editor-in-chief of Entekhab newspaper, came and provided a good analysis of the current societal and press situation. He discussed the problems arising from the state of the press and possible solutions for reforms, as well as the challenges faced by his newspaper and the limited financial assistance provided by the Leader’s Office.

Mr. [Seyed Mohammad] Mirmohammadi, [Deputy Chief of the Leader’s Office], came and suggested forming an agreement with the Association of Combatant Clerics in opposition to the Participation Front, given the disagreements between them. He also expressed displeasure with Dr. [Ali Akbar] Velayati, [Senior Advisor to the Leader in International Affairs], for not agreeing to speak in Qom during the election campaign, despite being invited by him.

Commander [Seyed Mohammad] Hejazi, [Commander of the Basij Resistance Force], [Saeed] Farjianzadeh, [Head of the Basij Students’ Organization], and [Alireza] Zakani, [Head of the Basij Students’ Organization for Universities of Tehran Province], came from the Basij. They provided a report on the political activities of the Basij student movement and sought consultation. I had previously told some of them that it’s not right to mobilize committed forces in the Basij and then restrict them from engaging in political activities related to current issues, limiting their actions to general matters.

[Mr. Seyed Hassan Mousavi Khorasani], the Friday Prayer Leader, and [Seyed Mohammad Hossein Dana], the representative from Abadeh, came. They expressed concern about the results of the election and the un-Islamic movements occurring in the country. They also requested financial assistance to complete the religious school in Abadeh, which I had helped to establish, and sought advice on how to operate in the new political conditions.

In the afternoon, Mr. Ali Larijani, [Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting], came. We discussed important societal issues and the press, as well as strategies to prevent harm to the revolution. During lunch, I consulted with Mohsen regarding the elections and his upcoming trip to Hormozgan.

The decision to exclude workers from small workshops from social insurance has sparked widespread anger and protests among workers. Internally, the matter of the Tehran elections remains a hot topic, and the biased analyses from Western liberals and leftists raise questions.

Globally, criticism of Mr. [Lionel] Jospin, the French Prime Minister, for his negative stance on Hezbollah continues in both Western and Islamic media. Significant global events in the news include a devastating flood in Zambia and a massive storm in Australia.

Mr. [Jörg] Haider, leader of the Freedom Party of Austria, has resigned due to pressure from European countries, and Mount Mayon in the Philippines continues its dangerous eruption, displacing 100,000 people.