On 13 November 1999, eighteen groups came together to form the "Council for coordinating of 2nd of Khordad Front" () with the aim of laying down a unified reformist strategy. The coalitions's namesake, 2nd of Khordad, corresponds to 23 May on the Iranian calendar, is the day of Mohammed Khatami's landslide victory in the 1997 presidential election. The 18 groups were later nicknamed "2nd of Khordad Front G-18" ().