News ID: 59

Date: 02 May 2021 - 20:05

Ayatollah Khamenei warns against attempts to undermine upcoming elections

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned against attempts aimed at dissuading people from taking part in the forthcoming presidential elections, calling for a massive turnout in the vote to disappoint the enemies.

“Every election is an important opportunity [for the country] in the true sense of the word and nobody should disappoint people and dissuade them from taking part in the election. No one should undermine the election with empty, dishonest and unfounded remarks,” Ayatollah Khamenei said on Sunday in a virtual speech on the occasion of National Teachers' Day and International Workers' Day.

"Sometimes, some candidates make remarks which show that they do not even believe in the Constitution. Well, he who wants to run for presidency and who is a candidate to sit in the presidential chair should believe in Islam, in the people’s votes and in the Constitution. They should believe in these things. Otherwise, if they do not believe in them, they are not eligible for presidency. Sometimes, one hears statements which do not befit the status of this important duty. We seriously request that they observe this point".

Calling for a massive turnout in the forthcoming polls, the Leader advised hopefuls running for the 13th presidential election not to give promises they cannot keep and instead present their action plans to the people.

"Elections are an irreplaceable opportunity. Nothing else can take the place of elections for the country and for strengthening its bases of power. Elections mean the presence of the people and when the people are present, no power can shake the system. Elections are the manifestation of the people’s presence. Therefore, those who participate in elections are actually working for the power of their country, for its preservation, for their own security and for the future fate of their country," the Leader went on to add.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that the election is a unique opportunity for the people as well as the country, and that nothing like polls can help guarantee the country’s security and future.

"Some individuals discourage the people by casting doubts on elections and on those who organize them including the honorable Constitutional Council and other organizations. They try to undermine their work. This is wrong. Since the beginning of the Revolution, we have held many elections, tens of them, and all of them were held in a healthy way. There might have been some small violations here and there – in fact there were such small violations – but they have not affected the results of elections. This is because we pursued the matter. In certain cases, people lodged a complaint and we followed it up. In certain elections, some individuals complained that there were certain violations. We pursued the matter and conducted serious research, but the kind of violations that seriously breach the rules and that affect the results of elections has never occurred in our elections. Our elections have been healthy and reliable. This is the first point," the Leader stated.

Iran’s 13th presidential election is slated for June 18, 2021. The sixth local councils’ elections will be held on the same day.

Candidates hoping to run in the next elections are to apply in early April for approval. The final list is to be announced by the Constitutional Council in early June.

The Constitutional Council is a constitutionally mandated 12-member council in Iran that, among other things, is tasked with ensuring the compatibility of the legislation passed by the parliament with the criteria of Islam and the Constitution.