On Dec. 26, Mehdi Karroubi, one of the candidates in the disputed 2009 presidential election who later emerged as a leader of the Green Movement, resigned from his post as secretary-general of his political party. Karroubi, a former parliament speaker, has been on house arrest along with fellow Green Movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi since 2011. Karroubi founded the Reformist National Trust Party in 2005 following his defeat in the presidential election that year.
In his letter to party members, Karroubi wrote, “As you know, the circumstances of the house arrest have prevented the possibility of pursuing matters such as the issues of the party, and my information and news about this is limited. … I urge all friends to strictly avoid any kind of disagreement and differences that can lead to expulsions or tension among the dear members of the party.”
He added, “The central council [of the party] … should have a session, and with attention to my situation [house arrest], which started in 2011, and [how] its end is unclear and no time has been set for it [to end], I request my resignation from the post of secretary-general of the party, and I urge friends to accept and approve this request without the interference of emotions and feelings and for the greater interests of the party. [You should] choose the new secretary-general with the management of Mr. [Rasoul] Montajebnia, the respected deputy of the secretary-general, and be sure that after the change of the situation and lifting of the house arrest, I will spare no effort [for the party] as a founding member.”
Karroubi continued, “This Reformist party should maintain its independence while having interaction and cooperation with other Reformist groups and figures. We should learn from the victories and defeats. You should profit from the sweet experiences of [the parliamentary and presidential elections in] 1997, 2000, 2001 [in which some tried to divide the Reformists vote by greatly barring candidates]. However, it is necessary [for you] to have interaction and collaborate [with other Reformist groups], while being careful not to get caught in artificial situations [created by some groups]. A believer is not bitten twice from the same hole.”
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