We Want to Meet the Supreme Leader

After the news-breaking event a few months ago that three reformists had held a meeting with Iran’s supreme leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei, now there are news reports that the group is making another sprint to meet with him again.

Majid Mohtashemi, the secretary general of the Freedom Party ( Hezbe Azadi) and the spokesperson for the Reformists Front talked to Rooz and confirmed that a number of reformers had sent a written request to the supreme leader to meet him.

The deputy head of the Front Mohammad-Javad Haghshenas also told Mehr news agency that the request letter had been signed by two reformists and moderates. He added that the letter also “talked about the June presidential election and how to engage political parties.” “In addition to requesting to meet with the supreme leader, we also asked to be given the opportunity to present our views and also learn of his,” he said.

The Reformists Front is made up of a group of parties and political groups lead by Mostafa Koakbian, the secretary general of the Populist Party ( Hezbe Mardom Salari) who is also a former member of the Majlis from Semnan. He has announced that he intends to run in the presidential race later this year without any preconditions. This Front is not accepted by the core faction of the reformists while the Participation Front, the Association of Combatant Clerics ( Majmae Rohaniyoon Mobarez ), and the Association of Teachers of the Qom Theological Seminary ( Majmae Modaresine Hoze Elmie Qom ) have ruled out any cooperation with this group and some other reformist groups have even called them “fake reformists” that were created by the state security agencies.

In a previous interview with Rooz, the spokesperson of the group however has rejected this charge and said that the group is only after reforms within the framework of the constitution of the Islamic republic and has no tension with other institutions.

A Respectful Letter

Majid Mohtashemi explained why the reformers had requested another meeting with the leader by saying, “A group of reformists who represented some factions raised the idea of some reformists should meet with the supreme leader.” While he did not identify the group that made this decision, he did tell Rooz, “It was brought up in a joint session that had been called for creating unity among reformers, that since there existed some concerns about participating in the presidential elections and the provincial assembly elections, it would be better if the views of the reformers were raised directly with the supreme leader so that what happened after the 2009 presidential election would not happen again.”

As explained by the spokesperson of the Reformers Front, “a group was identified to prepare a letter to be presented to the leader. The letter was written in very respectful language and was presented in the context of meeting the leader. We are now waiting for a response.”

These remarks were made after news reports announced that three reformists close to former president Mohammad Khatami had held a meeting with the supreme leader. Etemad reformist newspaper wrote on February 19 that Majid Ansari, a member of the Association of Combatant Clerics (a reformist clerical group led by Mohammad Khatami and Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha) who is also a member of the State Expediency Council, Ishaq Jahangiri, the minister of industries in Khatami’s administration, and Abdolvahid Mousavi Lari, the minister of interior in Khatami’s administration who is also a member of the Combatant Clerics, had met with the supreme leader.

No detailed reports have been published about this meeting but it was said that the meeting was not about the elections and that most of the talks were about the economic and industrial conditions of the country.

In response to a question of whether the new request to meet the leader is related to the meeting that three other reformists had with ayatollah Khamenei earlier, the spokesperson of the Reformists Front said, “No, this is a different issue.” He continued, “We want to meet the supreme leader to learn of his views and at the same time lay the foundation for a healthy and constructive competition in the eleventh presidential race.”

Khatami Is Top Candidate

Prior to this interview the Reformist Front had stressed that Mohammad Khatami was its top candidate in the upcoming presidential race in June. The Spokesperson of the Front reiterated this and said, “If for whatever reason Mr. Khatami removes himself from the race we shall present a candidate through consensus.” He added that the group was preparing for a “large congress” for this purpose to be held on April 19, 2013.

It should be noted that prior to this, the Coordination Council of the Reformers which represents a group of other reformers such as the Participation Front, the Organization of the Mujahedin of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Association of University Professors had planned to hold a large gathering in March, but security agencies prevented such a meeting.

Mohtashemi added that the Front has not had a problem in holding gatherings till now and that there was no reason that it would in the future.