On the Commemoration of the 24th anniversary of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Sayed Rohollah Mousavi Khomeini, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei delivered an important speech to a gathering of millions at the Imam Khomeini’s Mausoleum.
The leader of Iran explained Iran’s developments during the post revolution period and also talked about Iran’s June 14 presidential election.
“Before the Islamic revolution in Iran, [the west] had dictated to us that we are not able to run our country and develop scientifically,” Ayatollah Khamenei said on June 4th.
“Iran once extended her hands to foreign engineers for making roads, but today our youth make thousands of factories, dams, bridges and roads.”
“Our country was run by the US and Britain’s policies. Corrupt leaders were ruling this country but after the 1979 revolution, people’s representatives came in to power,” he said.
“We had not any scientific honor before the revolution, but now according to the international statistics, Iran’s growth rate in science and technology is 11 times more than the average growth of the world’s output.”
Reiterating on the necessity of keeping on Imam Khomeini’s path, he said, the late founder of the Islamic Republic left a road map for Iran to continue its revolutionary path.
“Imam Khomeni’s road map is his principals. The principals that could change an ashamed nation to a proud one,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“Imam Khomeini’s path in the internal politics were relying on the people and providing unity and avoiding aristocracy. According to Imam’s principals, authorities should be devoted to the interests of the nation and try for development,” he said while trying to outline an acceptable approach for Iran’s administration.
“On foreign policy, Imam’s behavior was [based on] standing against the domination policies [of the superpowers], [being] brotherly with Islamic nations, having relations will all countries but fighting against Zionism for the freedom of Palestine.”
“On the economy, Imam Khomeini’s path is to rely on national economy, self-sufficiency, economic justice in production and distribution, denying capitalistic culture and respect for work and trying for independence in the national economy,” Iran’s leader said.
Only 10 days to the election day, Iran’s leader explained the basic principles of the Islamic Republic in three main areas of domestic policy, foreign policy and economy.
These three areas are the main subjects of the 8 presidential candidate’s debate and campaign speeches. All candidates trying to present their approach to the important issues of foreign policy like the long standing nuclear dispute with the West, and interaction with the USA and the Palestinian cause.
The economy of Iran is also affected by the US’ unilateral sanctions, so each of the presidential candidates proposes his solutions to reviving and developing the economy of the country. While some of the candidates from both principalists and reformist fronts suggest a better relation with the west as a solution to economic problems, others stress on the economy of resistance and avoiding capitalistic methods as the solution.
“Any vote to any of the 8 candidates is a vote for the Islamic Republic and the mechanism of the elections,” Iran’s leader said.
“Our poor enemies abroad want to create a threat [from the election] against the Islamic Republic while [the election] is an opportunity for us,”
“The enemies hope Iran’s elections will be cold and they create another sedition like what they did in 2009,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. “But they are mistaken. They didn’t know our nation. They forgot the [pro-government] rally in December 30, 2009.”
On December 30, 2009, millions of Iranian people participated in pro-government demonstrations took place in capital city of Tehran and all cities around the country to protest anti-government and anti-islamic demonstrations and violence following the 2009 presidential election.
Observers called the main rally in the capital possibly the largest crowd in the streets of Tehran since Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s funeral in 1989. This demonstration was an end to the months of street violence and anti-government demonstrations.
“Those who think there is a majority in the opposition in the Islamic Republic should remember the huge crowds of people who rallied on the 22nd of Bahman [mass rallies take place each year to mark the anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution] and they shout Death To the USA,” Iran’s leader said.
“The enemies’ think tanks are backing their media and political speakers to make lies and make Iran’s election atmosphere cold,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, “They say Iran’s election is not free and legal and is engineered. But they don’t know the Iranian nation, the government and its election [mechanism].”
Iran’s leader then described Iran’s election mechanism as the most democratic and free mechanism in the world and criticized elections in the capitalist countries where only a few people dependent on the power and wealth sources, can enter the race.
“Where in the world, [presidential] candidates are allowed to use national and government media freely and equally? Is it in the capitalist countries?” Ayatollah Khamenei asked.
“In the capitalist countries, only those candidates who are backed by the [main] political parties and power and wealth mafia can campaign.”
“The US elections endorse this idea. There were some candidates that had not supported Israel so they couldn’t enter the US election race,” Iran leader said. “But in our country all candidates freely and equally can talk with the people about different subjects.”
“In American elections anyone opposing Zionism cannot run. But In Iran candidates can talk to the people without spending even a Rial.”
He then denied reports of his support for a specific presidential candidate saying “I don’t endorse any one. I just say the facts and advise all candidates to speak fair and don’t deny the important achievements of the current and past administrations.”
“There are economic problems, god willing the next president will be able to solve the problems,” Iran’s leader said and called the economy as the main issue of the country and the enemies are using it to pressure the people and government.
“If the nation deals with its economy then the enemies will be defenseless when confronting Iran,” he said.
“Candidates must not prefer foreigners’ interests to the people’s interests. Some think we should compromise to lessen the anger of the enemy. But this is wrong.”
