According to Khabar Online's political correspondent, although Rafsanjani's remarks dates back to a month ago, it was considered at the first session of Iran's Expediency Council in the new Iranian year (began on March 20), headed by him. Expediency Council is tasked with resolving conflicts between laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s constitution and government policy.
From a week ago, Rafsanjani's saying has provoked a wave of criticism against him in some Iranian media mostly controlled by the government. However, at the first session of the Expediency Council held on April 8, he emphasized once again that did simply indicated to a memory from his conversations with the late Imam Khomeini, without referring to the current Iranian situation.
Speaking at a news conference, Rezaei stated: "One of the prominent figures of our country uttered a memory from his discussion with the late Imam Khomeini on the issue of relation with the United States. Mr. Rafsanjani has stressed that was just a recollection but the entire issue turns to a controversy and seemingly a big problem."
Reza'ei himself was the chief commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) from 1981 to 1997 and led the guards in the turbulent years of Iraq's imposed war against Iran known in the country as 'sacred defense'.
Responding to a question whether by referring to that memory, Mr. Rafsanjani was to indicate something special or not, the secretary of the Expediency Council said: "As a matter of fact, there were interpretations on his remarks which have become controversial."
Elsewhere in his remarks, Rezaei explained that the new decree issued by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei which reinstated Mr. Rafsanjani as chairman of the Expediency Council is not subjected to any special comment.
"The Supreme Leader's idea in running the country is to absorb the elites as much as possible and obviously such decree has been issued in line with this approach," he said.
Speaking on the new round of activities in the Expediency Council and comments on the absence of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from the sessions of the Council, Rezaei announced that the government promised to cooperate more with the Council than before.
After a disputed presidential election of June 12, which led to the reinstatement of Ahmadinejad, he has avoided to turn out in Marmar Palace (or Qods building) where the meetings of the Expediency Council are held.
As the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran's executive branch, the president is appointed as one of the permanent members of the Council. Although the line-up of that changed recently due to the decree of Ayatollah Khamenei, Ahmadinejad should still attend the sessions of the Council.
Ahmadinejad's absence is directly related to his dispute with Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani who heads the Expediency Council. The confrontation between the two was triggered in June 2005 and was followed in Iranian media through Ahmadinejad's first term of presidency up to 2009.
Ayatollah Rafsanjani criticized the policies of Ahmadinejad's government in managing the country and foreign affairs, and the head of government continued speaking self-confidently against him in various gatherings and events. But Rafsanjani has always been an influential figure in the social and political milieu of Iran.
Their row culminated at a TV debate where Ahmadinejad accused Hashemi's family of corruption. Rafsanjani then asked Ahmadinejad to revise his pungent remarks against him and his family.
However, at the moment the status of Ahmadinejad has been degraded since he resisted against the decree issued by the leader who reinstated intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi. Moreover his economic plans went wrong particularly in implementing subsidy reform plan, and a big, almost $3 billion embezzlement related to his close allies was disclosed last year.
The chairman of the Expediency Council lately renewed his censure of administration for lacking scientific, technical, and intellectual qualifications as well as failing to efficiently run the country.
“If the administration had played its role appropriately, our ties with the people would be absolutely fine and we would not cause disputes with the world,” he suggested.
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