Speaking to Khabar Online, Aref, a PhD graduate in electrical and communication engineering from Stanford University and former Minister of Post, Telegraph, and Telephonestated that the postelection events of 2009 [when massive protests staged in Iran against the reinstatement of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] should be meticulously analyzed.
“If we don't want the post presidential election unrestof 2009 to be repeated once in four years, we must methodically consider the reasons which led to that crisis instead of detaining protesters. Where in the world the detention of protesters has been helpful in ending such crises?” he said.
“Our Islamic revolution was a cultural revolutionand we should find cultural and scientific solutions for our problems. But as serving their political and factional interests, all factions have negative standpoints about their counterparts. So, no hope will remain for finding a resolution for the upcoming presidential election which is scheduled to be held in next June,”Arefadded.
“We must consider the role played by all factions in fomenting the unrests of 2009 including reformists instead of simply calling reformists for repentance, but during the last three years the reformists’ rivals [the Princialists] have had nearly all the mediaincluding state-run television and radio in their power and haveone-sidedly judged about the issues. They label all attempts for considering such problems as “sedition”, the Sharif University professor stated.
The former Vice-President of the Iranian reformist administrationpointed out that the Principalistsactually removed their reformist rivals from scene of policy: “In the absence of reformists, was the performance of the Principlists better than them? At the moment the rivalry between the Principlists themselves is much fierce than the times of reformists.”
“Regarding the forthcoming presidential election, at the moment the Principalistsdetach themselves of the incumbent government [which its performance has been so problematic]to save their status, but they must acknowledge their responsibilityin the advantages and disadvantages achieved by the [Mr. Ahmadinejad's] government,” Aref said.
Stressing that during the last eight years the reformists were set aside and the Principalists ran the country, he suggested: “The Principalists instantly created a specter and called it “the deviation current” [which they believe is led by Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad's adviser and close aid, whom has been accused of efforts to reduce the central role of jurisprudents (Foqaha) in the political scene of Iran]. Why don't they confront such current active within the government?
Elsewhere in his remarks, the former Minister of Post, Telegraph, and Telephone who is currently regarded as a possible candidate for the presidential election of 2013 said: “In 2005, I was not ready to run for the presidential election and preferred to pursue my academic activities.”
“I have never compared myself with the top figures of the Islamic Republic including [former presidents] Messrs. Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami. When I was informed that Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani would run for the 2005 election, I withdrew from the election campaign,” Aref said.
“One of our current problems is that several faithful and experienced persons who had earlier served the Islamic Republic system are no longer called to work with the officials,” he added.
“In 2009, I also withdrew from the presidential election after Mr. Khatami announced his candidacy to support him [although later Khatami himself withdrew in favor of Mir-HosseinMousavi.]. I believe that in forming an administration all faithful, efficient and experienced people should come to the scene to advise and back the government,” the former Iranian Vice-President said.
