Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – July 29, 1985

I worked until eight in the morning. Mr. Dr. [Abbas] Shibani came and complained about the opposition of Dr. [Mohammed Reza] Rah Chamani [Vice Chairman of the Parliament's Health Commission] to the bill to establish the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education. Mr. Behzad Nabavi, [Mohsen] Nourbakhsh, [Asadullah] Bayat, [Mohammed] Asghari, [Mohammed] Salamati and [Mohammed Ali] Najafi came and requested Mr. [Abul Qasim] Sarhadizadeh to publish Sobh Azadegan newspaper and to give privilege.

A group of representatives came and expressed concern about the rumors about Mr. Mousavi not being introduced as the prime minister in the future and the possibility of introducing people from another line. [Mrs. Samadi Mostafavi, Taj Gerdon and Kanani] our ambassadors came to Austria, Holland, Spain and Brazil and gave reports on the situation in the countries where they are assigned and the level of our communication with them. Overall, it seems that the country's international relations are improving.

Mr. [Mustafa] Qadri came and gave a report on the situation of the front in Kurdistan and Kurds inside Iraq and asked for help. Mr. [Syderreza] Zawarai came and offered me the position of prime minister on behalf of his friends, and I firmly refused. Earlier, Mr. [Habibullah] Asgarovaladi had put forward the proposal.

In the evening, I participated in the meeting of the central council of the militant clergy of Tehran. The campaign for the presidential election was discussed. We decided to talk more about the principle of people's participation in elections; Because Mr. [Ayatollah] Khamenei personally does not need publicity and he is not a rival. The Guardian Council has rejected all the candidates except for three - Mr. [Ayatollah] Khamenei, [Habibullah] Asgrawaladi and Mahmoud Kashani. The removal of Engineer [Mehdi] Bazargan will not be without problems.