In a landmark and historic speech at Tehran University's Friday prayer, the centerist ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani carefully threaded the path of political reconciliation in post-election Iran, thus providing a timely new impetus for Iran's transition from what he termed as a "crisis."
Rafsanjani's much-anticipated speech was important for the audience it included among the thousands who flocked to hear him, former president Mohammad Khatami and the three presidential candidates, Mohsen Rezai, Mehdi Karrubi, and Mir Hossain Mousavi, as well as their supporters, who for once shared the same space, if not necessarily the same slogans, at the ceremony -- that is a hallmark of the Islamic Revolution.
Invoking comparison with the incipient post-revolutionary days when another moderate ayatollah, Taleghani, captivated the audience at the Friday prayer, Rafsanjani consciously couched his deliberation on today's political situation in the familiar language of political Islam, by dividing his speech into three parts, the first two dealing with the normative foundations of the Islamic Republic and the goals and objectives of the revolution, and the third focusing on contemporary problems.
Keen on emphasising the republic and participatory nature of the post-revolutionary order, Rafsanjani stated that the title of "Islamic Republic" is not a cliche and that Islam and republic are the two constitutive defining features of the system, drawing on a number of pertinent stories about the prophet and Shia Imams to accentuate the point about the regime's respect for popular sovereignty.
With the issue of "national unity" on top of his mind, Rafsanjani's intention was to stay above the frey of political factions and that explains his self-reference as farajenahi (above factions) -- a point cemented by his reference to his consultation with the members of the Assembly of Experts and the Expediency Council.
While praising Iran's free elections, Rafsanjani stated his regret that the post-election events prevented Iran from earning a high mark in the world community, criticising the oversight Council of Guardian for failing to utilize the extra five days alloted to it by the supreme leader to review the complaints of voting irregularities and fraud.
Still, Rafsanjani's speech was equally important for what he did not say, above all, any criticism of the election results or of the performance of the election officials. Instead, he confined himself to a criticism of the state radio and television, stating that an "environment of doubt" was cast on the elections as a result of certain activities by the state-controlled media.
What is more, by acknowledging that a large group of Iranians are adamant about the legitimacy of results, Rafsanjani actually fell just a couple of steps short of conceding the legitimacy of election results. Insisting that "we must pass through this period," Rafsanjani's aim was to be future-oriented instead of being stuck in the uncomfortable present, which is why he in a language of candor and openness talked about the importance of necessary stops to "regain people's trust" in the government. In this vein, he called for the release of those arrested after June 12th presidential elections, the restoration of free press, and respect for the rule of law.
Concerning the latter, Rafsanjani's legalist solution resonates with the sentiment of both the supreme leader, who three weeks ago advised every one to use the legal channels and not to stray from the legal bounds, as well president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was in the holy city of Meshhed earlier this week and made a powerful speech regarding the rule of law as the only insurance against dictatorship.
Ahmadinejad has also introduced a new edict to the state-controlled media, whereby the individuals and groups who are unhappy with how they have been depicted in the media can have a chance to publicly respond. Also, there are signs that Ahmadinejad is considering revamping his cabinet by incorporating fresh faces that may appeal to the 14 million voters who did not vote for him.
Although the gaps in confidence between the Ahmadinejad camp and the Mousavi camp remains large, Rafsanjani's timely bridging the troubled waters with his bold and yet calculated reconciliatory speech, that simultaneously warned of the country's enemies who are determined to "deprive Iran of its gains in nuclear technology," represents a qualitative leap forward in terms of crisis-management in Iran
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