Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – June 16, 1983

At seven in the morning, I went to the Majlis. We had a public session. I put part of the session in Mr. Yazdi's charge. Before noon, I spoke to the guards at the Imam Hussein Training Center. After the noon prayer, I met with Mr. Rabbani Amolshi. He raised several issues; concerning the Guardian Council and the new members of Ayatollah Montazeri's household - who had agreed to accept supervision of it - the Supreme Judicial Council, Mr. [Seyyed Hassan] Taheri Khorramabadi's representation in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the problems existing in the [Islamic Republic] Party and the Atomic Energy Organization.

In the afternoon, [Major Torabi from] the Imam's Advisory Office [in the Army] brought a report on the situation at the fronts and the armed forces. I also met with [members of] the Tehran Friday Prayer Headquarters. They gave a report on their work and wanted money for the construction of the new prayer center. The municipality wants three billion tomans for the land being transferred; for leveling and walling, which is the first stage of the work.

Members of the student branch of the [Islamic Republic] Party came and gave a report. I also spoke to them at length. Before breaking the fast, we had a meeting at the President's office; about oil exports and foreign currency. Mr. Gharazi [Minister of Oil] had said in a letter that our export ceiling, based on our OPEC quota, is one million 750 thousand barrels of oil per day - which brings in much less money than the amount provided for in the budget - and has caused concern for the government and the Central Bank. After the negotiations, it was decided that they should try to ensure that revenue from oil sales would not be less than twenty-three billion dollars a year. We broke the fast there.

After breaking the fast, we had another meeting to review foreign policy and the liberation movements, especially the Palestinians and Afghans; we determined the policies. It was decided that we would not participate in the Geneva negotiations and would condemn them, and ask the Palestinians to hold the steadfastness front meeting with our participation and preferably in Tehran. We must prevent division over the Palestinian issue as much as possible. It was decided that a special commission would be formed in the Foreign Ministry to review the situation of the movements. We also discussed the high cost of living and a problem that bakeries have recently been creating through reducing their work. It was decided that a firm decision would be made at the next meeting.