Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 1, 1999

The Expediency Discernment Council [of the System] was in session until noon, and we completed the review of the general policies of the Third Development Plan. There was some dispute between Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami, [the President], and [Mohammad] Yazdi, [the head of the Judiciary], following the argument they had had at the Supreme Defense Council.

After the meeting, Mr. Abdullah Nouri came to inquire about Mr. Karbaschi’s situation. I said that the Leader had spoken by telephone and that Mr. [Ali] Razini, [Chief Justice of the Tehran Province Judiciary], had been told to refrain from carrying out the prison sentence for the time being. Mr. Nouri doubted that leaving the matter unresolved would be in Mr. Karbaschi’s interest and thought it might be preferable for him to go to prison, since there was a possibility that the sentence would be carried out today.

In the afternoon, Mr. [Alireza] Tabesh, Deputy Minister of Housing and Urban Development, came. He gave a report on major national projects, such as the Baharestan Parliament building, the National Library, the academies, and hospitals under construction. He explained the project around the shrine in Qom and asked for assistance. He then spoke about the problem of managerial personnel who are not being given attention by the present government and who are also not very willing to cooperate with the current situation of the right-wing political faction, and asked me to think of a way to help save them.

The Central Council of the Muslim Student Thought Association [Amirkabir University] came. They gave a report on their activities and said that they do not engage in political work and focus only on intellectual activities, and that they have attracted a large number of students. They asked questions for their publication and about a seminar they want to hold for Imam Khomeini.

Today, the impeachment of Mr. [Ataollah] Mohajerani, [Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance], had overshadowed all the news and continued until the evening. A group of women also demonstrated against him in front of Parliament. I listened to about half an hour of his defense; it was strong, and in the end the impeachment failed and he remained in office. I do not know what the Leader will do, given that he does not approve of him. The right-wing faction was very disheartened. They had been certain that the impeachment would pass. Workers’ demonstrations were taking place throughout the country against the plan to exempt workshops with three or fewer workers from the Labor Law.