Former Tehran mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi has said that prominent Reformist Saeed Hajjarian was one of the main reasons Reformists decided to support moderate Hassan Rouhani in the 2013 presidential elections. Hajjarian, considered one of the main theoreticians of the Reformist movement, gave Reformists a piece of advice that impacted their decision. 

Currently, Karbaschi is the secretary of the Executives of Construction Party, a moderate Reformist party that arose during Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani’s presidency. In his somewhat contentious interview with Reformist paper Etemaad, the former Tehran mayor (1989-1998) spoke about a wide range of issues. A great deal of the interview was focused on the Reformists' decision to support Rouhani, whether they might eventually regret that decision if many of their demands are not met or if they would be blamed for his failures.

“This concern is present among many activists and people in the media,” said Karbaschi, speaking of worry on the part of both conservatives and Reformists over the direction of Rouhani's next steps. “Rouhani’s administration was formed in a situation in which Rouhani neither claims to be a Reformist nor a conservative, nor does his administration make such a claim. He has not limited himself or his administration to either of these categories.”

When asked what happened behind the scenes when Reformists threw their support behind Rouhani, Karbaschi said that the decision was made because “the country and the people are important” for the Reformists.