I had an interview with Sadeq Hosseini Labbani, [a journalist for Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper], for Arab media, about the decision-making structure in Iran, [the summit of the Organization's leaders] of the Islamic conference, and the assessment of interests in relations with the Arabs. They wanted to understand what happened to Ayatollah Montazeri after the threat.
I had an interview with Sadeq al-Hosseini al-Lubnani, [a correspondent for the Sharq al-Awsat newspaper], for the Arab media, about the decision-making structure in Iran, the [Summit of the Heads of State of the] Islamic Conference Organization, and the discernment of expediency in relations with the Arabs. They wanted to understand what the fate of Ayatollah Montazeri would be after the Leader's threat.
Mr. [Mohammad-Reza] Nematzadeh, [Managing Director of the National Petrochemical Company], and the petrochemical managers came. They gave a report on the current situation and the plans in the program for the future and said the Central Bank is not cooperating. They asked me to tell Dr. [Mohsen] Nourbakhsh to cooperate. These plans were approved during my term of responsibility, and negotiations have been held with the foreign parties and their financial resources have been determined.
In the afternoon, the wife of Mr. Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, and two other women—his own sister and Mr. Nabih Berri's sister—came. They are Fati's guests for the summit of the Union of Non-Governmental Women's Groups. She spoke about her own social activities for the care of the Lebanese disabled and the program for becoming active in the Lebanese municipal elections for women. Effat and Fati were also present at the meeting.
Mr. [Hamzeh] Karami, the Political Director-General of the President's Office, came; he was from my time. He said the office's work has declined in quality and the new people have not yet been able to understand the importance of the work. In addition, he was critical of the programs to combat windfall wealth and the Islamization of the universities and the reduction of construction programs and sloganism in the new government, and he asked me to have a program at the universities.
A group of turbaned parliament representatives came. Messrs. [Seyyed Reza] Akrami, [the representative of Semnan] Pakrou, [Mousa] Qorbani, [the representative of Qaenat] and [Ali-Akbar] Hosseini, [the representative of Tehran], [Ali Al] Kazemi, [the representative of Selseleh and Delfan] and [Ali] Moallemi, [the representative of Qaem Shahr] and [Ali-Akbar] Abutorabi, [the representative of Tehran] and [Hossein] Irani, [the representative of Qom] and a group of others were among them. They expressed concern about the recent events regarding the Guardianship of the Jurist and thanked my remarks at the Friday prayer that put the people at ease. They wanted me to guide them on such matters and in the future. They said Mr. Nateq [Nouri, the Speaker of the Parliament] is no longer active in the parliament.
At night I was the guest of Ayatollah Khamenei. There was talk about the current issues of Qom. He does not want too much strictness. There was discussion about his speech at the [Summit of the Heads of State of the] Islamic Conference Organization. He agrees that it be delivered before the start of the program and that there be prior announcement. We talked about the issues of Iraq, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. He said that these are good evidence of the incorrectness of the Western democratic and party system, which prevents the establishment of calm and work and planning.
On the way home—from the south of Tehran to Valiasr Square—it was raining, and from there to Sa'i Park it was not raining and the ground was dry. From the park to Jamaran we had rain. I told Mr. Khatami the time of the Leadership's speech at the summit; he was worried and became relieved.
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