Ayatollah Khamenei: Friday Election Very Important
TEHRAN -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday called for a higher voter turnout in the presidential election runoff on Friday.
Addressing a group of scholars from Shahid Motahari University here, the Leader said the participation of people is the “backbone and source of pride for the Islamic establishment”.
“The better, clearer and more evident the participation, the more capable the system will be to achieve its domestic goals and to pursue the goals in the strategic development of the country, which is a big opportunity,” he said.
“This election is very important and anyone who loves Islam, the Islamic Republic, the progress of the country, the improvement of the situation and bridging the gaps
should show it by participating in the election on Friday.”
“Many people have problems and preoccupations or other reasons for not participating in the election,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei hoped that the turnout of voters at polling stations would be vigorous and a source of honor for the Islamic system in the runoff.
“Some people may not like some officials or even the Islamic system as they say these things freely, but this mentality that anyone who did not vote is connected to certain people and their way of thinking is completely wrong.
“Many people have problems and preoccupations or other reasons for not participating in the election,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei hoped that the turnout of voters at polling stations would be vigorous and a source of honor for the Islamic system in the runoff.
Campaigning for the runoff vote officially began on Sunday, a day after the results of the June 28 election were announced by the interior ministry.
Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili received the highest number of votes but no candidate managed to secure the absolute majority, paving the way for the runoff election.
Pezeshkian is a former health minister and senior lawmaker from the northwestern city of Tabriz. Jalili is the former lead nuclear negotiator and head of the top security body.
More than 24.5 million people cast their votes in Friday’s election to replace Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who lost his life in a helicopter crash on May 19.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Wednesday underscored the integrity of the country’s presidential election as a prerogative of the public that needs to be safeguarded against attempts to jeopardize the security of the July 7 runoff vote.
“Considering the capacities of the Islamic Republic, we have shown that we were able to hold safe and sound presidential election in 40 days” after the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi, he said.
“The integrity of the elections is imperative and is regarded as a public right and trust” that needs to be safeguarded, Vahidi added.
Vahidi stressed that both candidates have reasonably abided by the principles.
“There are those who take orders from abroad to instill some ideas in people in order to provoke psychological insecurity and instability, which are all part of plans by enemies and opponents,” he added.
Such attempts, he said, are completely monitored by the country’s intelligence agencies.