A Step Towards Transparency

The forthcoming launching of a newspaper belonging to Kargozaran Sazandegi political group is a positive development in Iran. It is a good development because of the transparency it brings to political organizations and events. Information technology has transformed and completely revolutionized political organizations and their accessibility.

Kargozaran Sazandegi has played a major role in Iran’s political and other events during the last ten years. It is widely recognized that former Tehran mayor Golam-Hossein Karbaschi and Attaollah Mohajerani a vice-president Khatami’s reformist presidency were the key instruments in the formation of the group. These and some other members of former president Rafsanjani at some point realized that public opinion was swaying and that a different agenda and creed of politicians was needed to run the country. So they broke away and formed their new grouping. Kargozaran made strides in its reach and accomplishments by supporting Khatami to the presidency and winning representatives in the fifth Majlis. But its progress was checked when is leader, Karbaschi was arrested and imprisoned on charges of embezzlement and fraud. So for the next 8 years, the party did almost nothing, even though it never officially ceased to exist. During this period internal difference and those with reformers heightened and the party lost more leadership supporters.

I believe that with the launching of its newspaper and, we will witness some purges inside the organization. But the fact that it still has many professional faces who will be involved in the newspaper is a very healthy sign. The new party will work to attract fresh blood and end its reliance on old hands such as Hashemi et al.