Tensions in Iran’s Parliament Over Hope Faction Members’ Meeting with Khatami

Iran’s parliament was thrown into tension today as hardline representatives shouted slogans. They chanted “sedition is a red line for the system” and accused Khatami of “shedding blood and fomenting sedition.” They were protesting the meeting of Hope faction members with Mohammad Khatami.

Hardline representatives in the Islamic Consultative Assembly attacked the recent meeting of Hope faction members with Mohammad Khatami, former head of the reform government, leading to tensions in parliament. Ali Motahari, the Second Vice Speaker, chaired today’s session.

The recent meeting of Hope faction members in Iran’s parliament with Mohammad Khatami, president during the so-called reform period, on Monday, March 20 (Esfand 11), was met with objections from Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi, a member of the Loyalty faction.

According to ISNA, Zahedi said in his mid-session speech during today’s parliamentary session: “When a group of parliament members meet with someone who, in one interpretation, remained opposed to the revolution during the 2009 sedition, it is support for rebellion. I hope these representatives prioritize national interests over factional interests and provide necessary support for the Imam and the leadership’s revolutionary ideals. I expect oversight bodies to take appropriate measures.”

Then Mohammad Ali Vakili, a member of the parliament’s presidium, in an oral reminder citing Article 75 of Iran’s constitution and responding to Zahedi’s speech which had called the Hope faction’s meeting with Khatami “contrary to national interests,” said: “It is contrary to national interests when an eight-year former president continues to move around the country, give free speeches, travel freely, and question all the country’s official borders, yet nobody objects to him. That is what is contrary to national interests, not a former president who has been sitting in a corner for years and does nothing but call for unity, compassion, and obedience.”

According to ISNA: “During Vakili’s remarks, some representatives entered the presidium area and showed very sharp critical reactions toward Ali Motahari and Mohammad Ali Vakili. Mojtaba Zolnouri, representative of Qom, shouted from the presidium microphone claiming: Khatami has shed blood! Khatami is a sedition-monger! Mr. Motahari, be impartial!”.

At this point, Vakili continued: “It is contrary to national interests when we threaten parliament representatives.”. Some representatives who were present in the presidium area told Ali Motahari: “Why don’t you give us time when we raise our voices?”

According to Etemaad Online: “The number of representatives in the presidium area was increasing by the minute. At this point, Javad Karimi Qadoosi moved toward Vakili’s microphone and said: Khatami has shed all this blood and fomented sedition…”. According to IRNA, Karimi Qadoosi was “shouting with clenched fists.”

Fars News Agency reported that hardline representatives engaged in verbal altercation with Vakili and told the reformists: “You are promoting sedition.”

According to Etemaad Online, Javad Karimi Qadoosi and Mojtaba Zolnouri, two representatives affiliated with the Resistance Front, “continued to shout at Ali Motahari” and Zolnouri told him: “You have sworn to be impartial.” At this point, Zahedi and Mohammad Javad Abtahi also stood in front of Ali Motahari and protested.

Reformist faction members also came to the presidium area and Abdolkarim Hoseinzadeh, a member of the Hope faction, debated with Karimi Qadoosi for several minutes. Abbas Godarzi, a conservative representative from Brajerd, also turned on Motahari’s microphone and said: “Sedition is a red line for the system.”

Also according to ISNA, “in the following remarks from representatives present in the presidium area, phrases such as ‘their mouths are connected to the sedition-mongers’ mouths,’ ‘sedition is a red line of the revolution,’ and so on were heard.”

Then Ali Motahari, responding to the incidents created, said: “Mr. Vakili’s reminder was valid and Mr. Khatami is not prohibited from meeting. He is prohibited from appearing in images, which also has no legal basis. Please return to your seats. You made remarks that implicitly insulted a large number of representatives and Mr. Vakili responded.”

Etemaad Online reported that during the continuation of today’s parliament session, “tensions arose between Vakili and Zahedi for several minutes, but representatives separated them, and then Hope faction members came to the presidium area and thanked Mohammad Ali Vakili.”

However, Fars News Agency claimed that Motahari’s “bias toward one faction” escalated tensions in parliament. According to this agency’s report: “After some time, Zahedi, standing before the presidium, objected to Vakili’s remarks and said: ‘You’re lying; it’s a lie,’ to which this presidium member responded by using the phrase ‘shut your mouth; shut up’ to Zahedi’s objection”.

Members of the reformist Hope faction had visited Mohammad Khatami, Iran’s former president who is currently prohibited from appearing in images, several days earlier. In his remarks during that meeting, the text of which was released on March 4 (Esfand 15), Khatami described Iran’s societal situation as “despairing” and emphasized that the Islamic Republic system “must be reformable and flexible.” He also warned about the failure to achieve reforms in the Islamic Republic and said: “It is already very difficult to tell people to come and vote. Do you think in the coming election, will people come to the polls for me and you? I doubt it unless there is a transformation in the next year.”

Iran’s official media has been prohibited for years from covering Mohammad Khatami’s positions and publishing his images. The restrictions imposed on Khatami went so far that last September (2017), security personnel “for the nth time” prevented him from leaving his home.

Source: DW