In an extensive interview, the prominent Reformist Abbas Abdi challenged a number of common perceptions and beliefs regarding Reformists and the administration of President Hassan Rouhani, criticizing the former for their ineffectiveness and lack of cooperation with conservatives. He drew the praise of conservative websites for his observations. Abdi’s most controversial comments to the Reformist newspaper Etemaad, in a Nowruz special edition, concerned the 2005 and 2009 elections.
“The legacy of [former President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad was not just a product [created] by him,” Abdi said. “Others provided the ground for this. Whether it was in the 2005 elections or 2009, unwise policies of others resulted in this dangerous situation. That we want to blame Ahmadinejad for everything only proves our passivity and ineffectiveness.” Abdi further contended that if the Reformists think they had nothing to do with the Ahmadinejad moment in Iran's history, then they must admit that they are “weak and ineffective.”
