Iranian Supreme Leader’s representative in the Revolutionary Guards expressed concern regarding the political stance of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, Chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council.
ISNA reports Ali Saeedi told a gathering in the City of Mashhad that Hashemi appears to still support the “regime’s enemies.”
“We are still witnessing Mr. Hashemi referring to the head of sedition, that is Mr. Mousavi, as a loyal servant of the country.” Saeedi said. “Therefore it is not clear what path he (Mr. Hashemi) is following.”
After MirHosein Mousavi’s father passed away last month, Hashemi Rafsanjani issued a message of condolence praising the Mousavi family for its many “worthy contributions to Islam, the Revolution and Iran.”
The message was interpreted as another gesture of support from the head of the Expediency Council for the opposition leader who is currently under house arrest with his wife by the authorities.
Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani became a target of repeated attacks by the public as well as by many Islamic Republic hardliners for his implicit support for the opposition. The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei has opted for gradually decreasing the power of Ayatollah Hashemi in the government.
Last month, he was quietly removed from his top position in the Assembly of Experts.
The representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader went on to add that putting the opposition leaders under house arrest is the best method of dealing with them at the present, explaining that “the current situation is not conducive to confrontation with the leaders of sedition.” He cited announcements and support of such groups as the Society of Qom Teachers and Seminarians for Mousavi and Karroubi as one of the main obstacles in the way of such prosecutions.
MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, the two presidential candidates that challenged the victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the last presidential elections which was followed by massive street protests, are referred to by the Islamic Republic establishments as the leaders of sedition. The opposition however insists that its aim is not toppling the government but rather reform within the framework of the constitution.
In addition to popular support for the opposition leaders, Ali Saeedi maintained that a certain part of the establishment still supports them and expressed concern that these sources of support may react to further confrontation with the opposition leaders.
He concluded that the government prefers to keep control of the situation by not drawing too much attention to these leaders.
