Mohammad Khatami: When Behdarvand Says the Noor Plan is a Dark Plan, He Will Naturally Stand Against It

Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran, reacted to the wave of criticism from reformists regarding the proposed cabinet of Masoud Behdarvand, calling for their continued support for the new president. He stated that when Behdarvand says the 'Noor plan is a dark plan, he will naturally stand against it.' Khatami also urged Behdarvand to pay serious attention to the '50 percent who did not participate in the elections' and the 'several million' who voted negatively. According to a report from the Jamaran website on Khatami's remarks on August 22, he said that Behdarvand's proposed cabinet 'should not lead to hasty evaluations and despair' and that reformists should not fall into 'harsh criticism and opposition.' Khatami recalled some of Behdarvand's promises and emphasized that reformists should demand these from the new president, stating, 'When he says the Noor plan is a dark plan, he will naturally stand against it. When he dislikes what is happening to the academic and cultured community, he will strive to implement what is right and acceptable to them.' The so-called 'Noor plan' is the government's program to confront women opposing mandatory hijab in public spaces. This plan began on April 14 of this year with the renewed presence of morality police in some city areas, and numerous reports of violent beatings and arrests of women have emerged. Khatami also mentioned opposition to 'the humiliation and insult to artists' and 'interaction based on national interests with the world and lifting sanctions' as other promises of Behdarvand. These remarks come as many political figures, especially reformists and supporters of Behdarvand in the elections, have expressed disappointment with his proposed list to the parliament, stating that this cabinet does not meet the expectations of those who voted for change. Khatami, who himself supported Behdarvand in the elections, reiterated his support for what he called a 'government of national unity and consensus,' stating, 'The 50 percent who did not participate in the elections and several million who primarily voted for fear that the affairs would fall into the hands of an undesirable current for national interests and security and development of the country, must be seriously considered in the matter of unity and consensus.' The turnout in the 14th presidential election, according to official statistics, fell below 50 percent for the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, and Masoud Behdarvand, as the candidate supported by reformists and moderate conservatives, faced off against Saeed Jalili, the candidate of hardline conservatives, and won the presidency. However, the announcement of Behdarvand's proposed cabinet list, which does not include any prominent figures from the reformists, alongside the presence of individuals belonging to the conservative camp or those selected solely in coordination with senior government officials and security institutions, has sparked a wave of criticism among Behdarvand's electoral supporters. Ali Abdolali-zadeh, Behdarvand's election campaign manager, stated that he does not know most of the individuals introduced for the 14th cabinet. Simultaneously, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who chaired the 'Advisory Council' responsible for selecting cabinet members, resigned from his position. Nonetheless, Mohammad Reza Aref, who has been appointed as the first vice president, stated on Tuesday that these days 'Dr. Behdarvand's valuable character is being unfairly judged.' Khatami also called for 'understanding the current complex and critical situation and dealing realistically based on correct information and fairness.' He did not provide further explanation about the 'critical situation.' On the opposing political spectrum, however, Behdarvand's proposed cabinet has received relative support from conservatives and even their hardline faction, describing the criticisms of the cabinet list as 'entitlement-seeking and totalitarianism' from reformists. For instance, the Kayhan newspaper, which is run under the supervision of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, wrote in a note about the members of the 'Advisory Council' that 'due to the blackmail of these entitlement-seekers to turn entitlement-seeking into totalitarianism, the explicit text of the law cannot be set aside.' This note refers to the president's legal right to select ministers and introduce them to parliament; however, it does not mention the legal documents regarding inquiries from security and government institutions and obtaining the opinion of the leader's office for ministerial selections. In response to the criticisms, Behdarvand stated that this list was prepared 'based on the deep belief of the 14th government in collective wisdom, collaboration, and interaction with all political currents,' and for this reason, 'even the names of individuals who voted for rival candidates in the elections are included.' The new president also reiterated that his government is to be a 'government of national consensus,' yet did not provide further details about the process of selecting his cabinet members. Behdarvand has also, contrary to common tradition, not held a press conference since being elected president, which has become another focal point of criticism against him in the media and social networks. On the other side of the story, the parliament has begun reviewing the ministers in some committees, and it was announced on Tuesday that the Health Committee of the parliament has approved the proposed ministers for health and labor. The spokesperson for the Committee of Internal Affairs also reported the presence of Eskandar Momeni, the proposed candidate for the Ministry of Interior, at the committee meeting, stating that 'a good summary was achieved.' The introduction of Eskandar Momeni, a figure close to Ali Khamenei and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, for the Ministry of Interior has sparked further reactions among reformist supporters of Behdarvand, to the extent that the reformist newspaper Etemad cited Momeni's selection as one of the reasons for Mohammad Javad Zarif's resignation from cooperating with Behdarvand's government. The Islamic Consultative Assembly is set to begin reviewing the qualifications of the proposed ministers of the 14th government starting from August 18.