Akbar Hashemi’s Memoirs – February 1, 2003

Mr. Sharbaf, the Deputy for Civil Engineering at the Tehran Municipality, and Mohsen Hashemi, the CEO of the Metro Company, came to visit. They complained about the confusion and aimlessness of municipal managers during the City Council's tenure, as well as these days, when the Ministry of Interior has taken the place of the Council and the Mayor. They stated that they are practically unable to get anything done and explained the difficulties created by military centers located in the path of major urban projects—such as the Navvab [Expressway] project and six other locations—that refuse to comply with the law. They requested that I speak with the Leader to issue orders to resolve these problems. They expressed a longing for the unity of the Construction Era.

The disqualification of some left-leaning representatives, particularly three members of the former Tehran City Council, has sparked anger among a faction of the 2nd of Khordad [Reformist] movement.

Full Diary Text:

The 8:00 AM news on national radio featured a brief telephone interview with me regarding February 1st (12 Bahman) and the Imam's return to Iran after 14 years of exile.

In the meeting of the [Expediency] Council, the general policies for communications were discussed, and the general framework was approved. A comprehensive report was also provided by [Mr. Seyyed Ahmad Motamedi], the Minister of Communications, and I gave a short speech about February 1st. Messrs. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami [the President], [Habibullah] Asgaroladi, [Ibrahim] Amini, and my brother Mohammad also shared memories. The Leader's response regarding the revision of specific instances of the general policies was read.

In the evening, Mr. [Javad] Sharbaf, the Deputy for Civil Engineering at the Tehran Municipality [and Mohsen Hashemi, the CEO of the Metro Company] came to visit. They complained about the confusion and aimlessness of municipal managers during the City Council's tenure, as well as these days, when the Ministry of Interior has taken the place of the Council and the Mayor. They stated that they are practically unable to get anything done and explained the difficulties created by military centers located in the path of major urban projects—such as the Navvab [Expressway] project and six other locations—that refuse to comply with the law. They requested that I speak with the Leader to issue orders to resolve these problems. They expressed a longing for the unity of the Construction Era.

The disqualification of some left-leaning representatives, particularly [Messrs. Morteza Lotfi, Ahmad Hakimipour, and Amir Abedini], three members of the former Tehran City Council [by the Election Monitoring Board of the 6th Parliament], has sparked anger among a faction of the 2nd of Khordad movement. They fondly remember the late [Ali] Movahedi-Savoji [head of the Monitoring Board in the 5th Parliament], who had not disqualified them [in the first local council elections in 1998], and they cite this as another sign of internal rifts within the 2nd of Khordad movement.

The protests by economists against the 2003 (1382) budget, which is currently being discussed in Parliament, have intensified.

I had an interview with Channel 2 of the national television regarding the factors behind the revolution’s victory, its impact, and current affairs; it was broadcast live during the news.

Eight European countries have endorsed the U.S. war policy, causing severe division within the European Union: one side led by the UK, Italy, and Spain, and the other side led by Germany and France. The U.S. and UK have agreed to give Iraq and the Security Council a few weeks' grace period to proceed with Iraq's disarmament. Reports of the presence of American forces in Iraqi Kurdistan have been broadcast.

In Afghanistan, clashes have intensified; a rocket was fired at the German soldiers' headquarters in Kabul, another explosion occurred in Kandahar, and armed clashes continue in the southeast.