Speaking to Khabar Online, Mostafa Mirian who is a member of the central council of ISE opined on the activities of Iranian reformists for the next presidential election in the country scheduled to be held in June 2013.
"Following the measures adopted by Seyyed Hasan Khomeini, the reformists are to open a new chapter of political games in the country. Therefore, in order to run for the next presidential election, Seyyed Hasan must seek permission from supreme leader [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei]," he said.
Hasan Khomeini, the cleric and religious researcher is the most prominent grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the late Ayatollah Rouollah Khomeini and has close ties with the reformists. He also oversees the late Imam Khomeini's shrine outside Tehran. However amid various claims, he has denied his inclination to run for the forthcoming presidential election.
"Due to his family background, Seyyed Hasan Khomeini will not be involved in the political game of reformists. As the political dossier of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani [chairman of the Expediency Council] became problematic, probably many defeats await the candidates in this political battle," Mirian suggested.
In tumultuous months after Iran’s disputed presidential election in June 2009 which led to reinstatement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hasan Khomeini sided with opposition and even met reformist candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi. Later, he came under attack and was accused by some hardliners for his position.
The member of the Islamic Society of Engineers went on to say: "The reformists are looking for a defendable political figure to propose him as a nominee for the presidential election, for example Mr. Aref who owing to his experience in holding governmental responsibilities has defendable qualifications to be introduced as the candidate.”
Mohammad Reza Aref, a Stanford University graduate and professor of Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, formerly served as Vice President in Mohammad Khatami's government and from 1997 to 2000 was Iran's Minister of Post, Telegraph, and Telephone. He is currently a member of the Expediency Council.
The Islamic Society of Engineers was formed at the end of Iraq’s imposed war against Iran (1988) with the objective of "elevating the Islamic, political, scientific and technical knowledge of the Muslim people of Iran, defending major freedoms such as freedom of expression and gatherings, as well as continued campaign against foreign cultural agents whether Eastern or Western materialism."
Famous members of the society include Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the sixth President of Iran, Mohammad Reza Bahonar, Secretary General of the society and the first Deputy Speaker of Majlis (parliament), former Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Morteza Nabavi, Deputy secretary general of the society and a member of the Expediency Council.
Earlier, as incumbent President Ahmadinejad was a member of ISE, the society did not support him for the Iranian presidential election in 2005 which led to Ahmadinejad's election in the second round, but instead backed Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani.
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