Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – March 28, 1992

I reached my office at half past nine in the morning. I read the reports. I contacted [Mr. Abdullah Nouri], Minister of the Interior, and [Mr. Mohammadi Gilani, Secretary] of the Guardian Council, regarding election issues; There are reports of the disqualification of other people in the Provincial Supervisory Council.

[Executive Vice President] Mr. [Hamid] Mirzadeh came. He gave a report on Sirjan's condition. The pistachio product has raised the financial status of the people and self-help like Rafsanjan is becoming common.

Mr. [Mortaza] Alveiri, [Tehran's representative] came. He expressed his concern about the possibility of the Assembly of Militant Clerics withdrawing from the elections due to the exclusions and the statements made by the leadership during the Friday prayer, and asked for a solution to the problem. I said that in the recommendations of the leadership to the Guardian Council, concessions have been made in order to reduce the removals, which is not in their interest to withdraw.

In the evening Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi informed me at the meeting of the Supreme Council of National Security that after the broadcast of the leadership's statements yesterday, the Assembly of Combatant Clergy has decided not to introduce a candidate in the elections. I said it is not for their benefit.

At the meeting of the Supreme National Security Council, Mr. [Mahmoud] Vaezi, [Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs], gave a report on the actions and progress of the mediation work in the Karabakh region and expressed his satisfaction; They decided to follow up and try to convince the people that this action of Iran is better for them than openly supporting and opposing the Armenians. He claimed that the people of Azerbaijan have understood this. In response to the letter of Mr. [Mohammed] Najibullah, the president of Afghanistan to me, it was decided that our agent would meet with him and ask for explanations about his proposals in the letter. He has suggested that an interim government be formed and has expressed concern about the danger of the victory of the extremist Sunnis and the anti-Shia and anti-Persian speakers [= Taliban].

After breaking the fast, I went to see Ayatollah Khamenei. It was discussed about the possibility of withdrawal of the militant clerics' assembly from the parliamentary elections and it was decided that we should prevent the spread of differences. We talked about the new national anthem that was recently prepared and approved by him. I reported the decisions of today's meeting of the Supreme Security Council. I arrived home late.