Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs – December 1, 2001

Review of the unfinished Iran-Slovenia shipping contract and raising the legal marriage age during the Expediency Council meeting. Some members insisted on revising the limited channels for vetting election candidates, which Hashemi opposed.
Harsh complaints from Sheikh Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi to Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi regarding the bail conditions set for Mohammad Dorri-Najafabadi.
A report by Mohammad Hashemi about claims of money collected in the name of elections.
An iftar gathering for the staff of the Expediency Council Secretariat and their families, with Hashemi not attending the parliamentary iftar for this reason.
Full daily note:

It has been raining since morning, which is welcome due to the drought. The Expediency Council held a meeting. The Iran-Slovenia shipping contract was on the agenda due to the Guardian Council’s objections regarding the prosecution of offenders in ports. The Ministry of Commerce was advised to reach an understanding with the contracting party to satisfy the Guardian Council. The proposal to raise the legal marriage age for boys and girls, which the Guardian Council had also opposed, was referred to the Judicial Commission for further review. As the session lacked a quorum, it ended early.

The right-wing faction asked me to amend the Council's decision on the limited channels for vetting election candidates. I said it was unnecessary, but they remained persistent. Mr. Dorri-Najafabadi bitterly objected to Mr. Shahroudi, the head of the judiciary, over the unjustified bail conditions for his son. I intervened, requesting leniency, as there was no risk of flight.

My brother Mohammad, head of the Central Council of the Servants of Construction Party, expressed concern over the division of independent and capable forces due to factionalism. He mentioned that someone had approached a wealthy Rafsanjani supporter twice, during and after the parliamentary elections, requesting 40 million tomans each time. Recently, he returned for more, prompting them to notify us. I advised them to investigate and identify the fraudster. Personally, I have never spent on election campaigns, though such cases might recur. The staff of the Expediency Council Secretariat and their families were my iftar guests. I was also invited to the Parliament’s iftar, but did not attend, which may upset them.

Doubts about the success of the Bonn Conference persist. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, has warned the United Front that if they remain rigid, the UN will withdraw its recognition and assistance to Afghanistan. Burhanuddin Rabbani has made some concessions. Fighting continues in Kandahar, with the Taliban resisting. The massacre of prisoners at Qala-e-Jangi is causing further scandal for the U.S. and the United Front. The inaction of Al-Qaeda fighters against the U.S. remains puzzling.