Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 25, 1997

In the morning, we went from home to the telecommunications center in the south of the city for the opening ceremony of 240,000 phone numbers and the mechanized post bank service. I removed the curtain from the two tablets and a Post Bank savings account was opened in my name; The first account. We heard the report of Mr. Javadi, [CEO of Post Bank Company], Rashti, [CEO of Tehran Province Telecommunication Company], and [Minister of Post, Telegraph and Telephone] and I presented the [service] badge to [Mr. Majid Maleki Tabar], deputy post office. I gave a short speech on the advantages of the development of telecommunication and post. We saw a film from the series of programs that I have used in ceremonies over the past years.

I went to my office. I wrote a congratulatory text to [President-elect] Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Khatami; I did not like the text prepared by the office. I had a press interview with domestic and foreign journalists; There were about 300 journalists from all over the world. I answered dozens of questions for two hours, and there were still 30 questions left, and the time ran out.

Iran's elections are very important to them and their interpretation is that the people's decisive vote in [the presidential elections] is against the government's policies, and most of them presented it as approval of the policies and comprehensive development method of the constructive government. I explained to reject their comments. The interpretations of the news centers and political circles of the world are the same everywhere.

In the evening Mr. [Mohammed] Faruzandeh, [Minister of Defense], came to consult about reconciliation and to complain about the actions of the [Armed Forces] General Staff. We had several resolutions in the meeting of the government board. Mr. [Mohsen] Noorbakhsh and [Gholamhossein] Karbaschi came and talked about the chairmanship of the parliament; They were worried that the leadership would order support for Mr. Natiq. Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Khatami came. He thanked me for my help and consulted about the future positions to be announced in a press interview the day after tomorrow. He gave the report of his negotiations with the leader and asked for permission to call me regularly to clear up the ambiguities.

I was the guest of the leader. They talked about the [presidential] election and they expressed their satisfaction with the election results and said that now they are more comfortable with the assumption of the victory of Mr. Natiq [Noori]. Regarding the chairmanship of the parliament, they asked me to help continue the chairmanship of Mr. Natiq. Regarding Germany, they do not agree to allow the German ambassador to return, and in response to the message of Mr. Kohl, [German Prime Minister], I should say that I agree and are satisfied with the arrival of his special envoy. We talked about Afghanistan and it was decided that if the Taliban is recognized by the international centers, we will also accept it.