In his decree, Ayatollah Khamenei described the vibrant presidential election
and the high vote garnered by the elected person as a sign of the strength of
the republic aspect of the Islamic establishment, and while highlighting the
need to implement the provisions of the Economy of Resistance, addressed the
president, saying, "Focus your efforts on the establishment of justice,
supporting the oppressed people, implementing the pure commands of Islam,
reinforcing national unity and dignity, paying attention to the huge
capabilities and potentialities of the country, and outspokenly venerating the
values and principles of the Islamic Revolution.”
The text of the Leader’s decree, which was read out by Hojjatoleslam Mohammad
Mohammadi-Golpayegani, is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
I thank the Almighty God, who helped the grand nation of Iran hold its head high
through another major social and economic test, and rendered their auspicious
presence in one of the most fundamental national measures a long stride in the
direction of safeguarding the dignity and security of the country and grandeur
of the sacred establishment of the Islamic Republic.
The vibrant elections and long voter lines across the country in addition to
high voter turnout in the presidential election and the high vote cast for the
elected person are all clear signs of the success of the Islamic establishment
in consolidating and establishing republicanism and the popular nature of this
revolutionary establishment, and this is one of the most fundamental and
important of numerous capabilities that our beloved Islamic country has, which
makes achievement of the lofty goals of the revolution possible and heralds a
bright future for the country and nation.
Now, while asking for God’s guidance and favor and under the aegis of the
attention paid by Hadhrat Valiollah al-A’zam (May Our Souls Be Sacrificed for
Him) and in view of the blessing and the concurrence [of this event] with the
days that mark birth anniversary of Hadhrat Imam Abi al-Hassan al-Reza (PBUH), I
hereby, in conformity with the choice of the Iranian nation, endorse their vote
and appoint esteemed scholar, Hojjatoleslam Dr. Hassan Rouhani, as president of
the Islamic Republic of Iran, and while praying for his success, emphatically
recommend that he regard this grave position as a means to obtain divine
satisfaction and saving for the moment of facing the Lord, and [advise him to]
direct his efforts toward establishing justice, supporting the oppressed
underprivileged people, implementing the commands of the pure Islam,
consolidating national unity and dignity, and paying attention to the great
capabilities and potentialities of the country, and be outspoken in venerating
the values and principles of the Islamic Revolution, and rest assured that the
proud and courageous nation will not abandon the servants of the country in
difficulties and in countering bullying and excessive demands of the [global]
Arrogance.
I deem it necessary to once more stress the [need for] implementation of the
Economy of Resistance plan and paying special attention to the issue of
employment and domestic production, and remind that the vote of the nation and
its endorsement is contingent upon safeguarding and honoring the commitment to
[standing fast on] the unwavering and undeviating Islamic and revolutionary
path.
In conclusion, I revere the memory of the dear late Imam [Khomeini] and salute
his purified soul and the martyrs of this path. Peace be upon the righteous
servants of Allah.
Seyyed Ali Khamenei
Mordad 12, 1396 (August 3rd, 2017)
In his remarks in this ceremony, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution
congratulated the birth anniversary of Imam Reza (PBUH), and described as a
source of blessing the coincidence of the endorsement ceremony with the birth
anniversary of that Imam. The Leader then pointed to the high importance of the
ceremony, saying, "One of the reasons for the importance of this ceremony is the
beginning of a new era in management of the country and it is hoped that the
esteemed president and his accompanying officials in the new term, would meet
the demands of the people and please them through innovations and [boosting
their] capabilities more than before.”
He enumerated "the role played by the people in electing the top-echelon
managers of the country” as the second reason behind very high importance of the
endorsement ceremony and added, "This endorsement ceremony is the twelfth such
ceremony after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, which shows the
effectiveness of the vote and choice of the people and this great achievement
has been realized as a blessing of the Revolution.”
Pointing to election of ten terms of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis),
five terms of the city and village Islamic councils and five terms of the
Assembly of Experts through votes of the people from the victory of the
Revolution until now, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, "Prior to the
Islamic Revolution due to the presence of a dictatorship, people had no role in
determining the country’s managers, but as a blessing of the Islamic Revolution
and the robust determination, strong faith, endless insight and unique courage
of such a great man as the late Imam, the people came to the fore from the
peripheries and gained control [of the country’s affairs].”
Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated, "The country’s new generation and youth have not
witnessed the pre-Revolution era, but the role played by the people in the
government is a major achievement through which the honorable Imam succeeded to
put an end to years and centuries of monarchial and hereditary rule and foreign
meddling and dominance by mobilizing the ocean of the nation, and change the
direction of the country’s and nation’s movement.”
Reiterating that the people and officials must be proud of four decades of
"religious democracy and the role played by the people in the affairs of the
country and in electing officials,” the Leader said, "Officials who will take
office in the new term are heirs to forty years of effort and innovation by
various officials, who created many scientific, practical and intellectual
infrastructures, which never existed prior to the revolution.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described these infrastructures as the
nation’s launch pads to the future and emphasized, "The new officials and those
accompanying the honorable president must make use of four decades of experience
and accumulated capacities, and deliver it to subsequent managers and by adding
to this national asset.”
Ayatollah Khamenei described the raising of new generations with revolutionary
way of thinking and brimming with motivation and ready for work as one of the
blessings of the Islamic Revolution. The Leader then urged the officials to take
advantage of this great product, adding, "Another achievement of four decades of
[the country’s] management by the Islamic Republic establishment has been the
interaction of the Iranian nation with the world and, at the same time, serious
confrontation with the hegemonic system and resistance against the ploys of
ill-wishers.”
In the same part of his remarks, the Leader said, "One of the points, which I
insist on repeating so as not to slip into oblivion, is not neglecting the
‘presence of ploy of the enemy’.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution then added, "We should never forget that
the enemy is busy devising [plots] and showing hostility, but by the Grace of
God, the nation and officials have grown more hardened over the past four
decades.”
Pointing to the existence of sanctions from the outset of the Islamic Revolution
and particularly in recent years, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Although sanctions
caused some problems, they made us pay attention to domestic potentialities and
capabilities and take advantage of them, and therefore, today, despite the will
of the enemy, Iran is much stronger and more powerful than the early years of
the revolution.”
The Leader pointed to various ploys used against Iran in past years and said,
"In these years, some people, like the current US officials, were openly hostile
to the Iranian nation, and the ploy used by some others was like a cast-iron
hand covered by velvet gloves. However, all these designs increased
self-confidence of the people and officials in order to discover ways of
countering the enemy’s ploys.”
Emphasizing that the Islamic Republic has no fear of the ill-wishers’ ploys and
knows how to deal with them due to the plentiful potentialities of the country,
the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, "The officials of the new
administration must know that they are at the helm of such a highly potent and
talented establishment and these [talents] must be taken advantage of after
being identified.”
Ayatollah Khamenei urged the new executive officials to "rely on the
revolutionary identity, jihadi work and making use of people’s support as well
as the country’s spiritual and material assets.” Explaining about three main
stances to be adopted by the next administration, the Leader added that
"Addressing people’s problems, particularly the livelihood and economic
problems,” as the foremost priority, as well as "widespread interaction with the
world and expansive contacts with nations and governments,” and "firmly and
robustly standing up against hegemonic powers,” were three main stances that
must be simultaneously put on the agenda of the new administration.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the regime of the Unites States
of America as more aggressive and brazen than all of the hegemonic powers and
reiterated, "Four decades of international activity has shown that the price of
submitting to bullying powers is much higher than the price of standing up
against them.”
Reiterating that "submission” makes nations miserable and blocks the path to
progress to them, Ayatollah Khamenei added, "With divine assistance, the Islamic
Republic has never submitted to Arrogance and the hegemonic system and has never
compromised on their demands, and due to blessing of martyrs’ self-sacrifice and
selflessness, today, in addition to having more power and progress, has made its
slogans more prominent.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution offered 10
recommendations to the esteemed president and his colleagues.
"Seeing the responsibility [of governing people] as a trust and safekeeping it,”
"setting priorities when making plans and spending budget, especially on
uprooting poverty and corruption,” and "going ahead on the basis of the sixth
[economic development] plan,” were the first three recommendations offered by
Ayatollah Khamenei.
Stating his fourth recommendation, the Leader advised the officials to consider
"the unity of the nation” as important and safeguard it and take care that
tensions and harmful divisions are not created among the people.”
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the varied tastes of the people and noted, "Allow
people with various tastes to live a peaceful life along one another.”
In his fifth recommendation to the president and future government, the Leader
of the Islamic Revolution said, "Do not be upset with opposing views, because
there are flaws in difficult jobs and responsibilities and you have to allow the
critics to express their views by accepting and tolerating criticism.”
In his next recommendation, the Leader urged the executive officials to go among
the people and connect with them without any intermediaries. Further on, the
Leader stated his seventh recommendation, saying, "Appreciate the faithful,
revolutionary and highly-motivated forces, because it is these very
revolutionary forces that safeguard the country and stand tall in difficult
times.”
The eighth recommendation offered by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to
officials was not to forget the hostility of the enemies, where he said, "Always
remember in your decision-making and international interactions that the enemy
is doing all it can to destroy you and uses any pretext [to achieve this goal]
as well.”
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the recent hue and cry by Western countries’ over
the launch by Iran of a satellite-carrier rocket into space, adding, "The launch
of this satellite-carrier rocket was a scientific and technical and routine, and
of course necessary, work for the country, but they kick up a fuss even over
this issue.”
The next recommendation of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to the executive
officials was the need for strong, jihadi and calculated work in economic,
cultural and defense areas, in addition to preserving Islamic and revolutionary
identity of the nation to counter the ill-wishers’ ploys and excuses and give a
proper answer to them.
Stating his tenth and last recommendation to the officials, Ayatollah Khamenei
said, "Trust in God and believe in the promise about the divine support.”
In conclusion, the Leader stressed that one should not remain idle in the face
of opponents of religion and lawbreakers, noting, "Know that the future belongs
to you.”
During the ceremony, Mr. Hassan Rouhani, the president of Iran, expressed his
congratulations on the auspicious birth anniversary of Imam Reza (PBUH) and
pointed to the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the legacy of the late
honorable Imam for the people, including self-confidence, dignity, independence
and freedom. He added, "In order to build a future, which is the manifestation
of freedom, security, peace and progress, we have no choice but to further rely
on the endless capabilities of the nation.”
Rouhani described "uprooting poverty and corruption,” "curbing inflation,”
"making Iran proud in international circles” and "gaining access to regional and
global markets” as the rights of the people and added, "‘Growth of a free and
spiritual atmosphere’, ‘easy access to information’, ‘equality in the face of
law’, ‘being confident about one’s future’, ‘[freedom for] voicing one’s opinion
and dialogue’, and ‘being informed of the affairs of the country’, are also
among the rights of the people.”
Pointing to the trustworthiness of the establishment with regard to the people’s
votes, the president said, "In this election [and] through the language of
ballots, the people once again reaffirmed their allegiance to the establishment,
the Leader, the administration and their elected one, and now the responsibility
falls on our shoulders.”
Rouhani described "religious democracy” as a blessing of the Islamic Republic
and said, "Undoubtedly, this great achievement is owed to the leadership of the
late Imam and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, who have provided the ground
for the growth of the offspring of the revolution with various political tastes
through their strategic view and fatherly policy and tolerance.”
The president enumerated "social justice” and "elimination of poverty” as among
the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, saying, "The 11th administration took some
important steps through ‘restoration of economic stability’, ‘reduction of
inflation’, and ‘boosting in public services’ such as the establishment of
public insurance and implementation of the health system development plan, but
the state of poverty and inequality in the country is still not befitting of the
nation and becoming to the Islamic Republic.”
Rouhani described "complete eradication of absolute poverty from the Iranian
society” and the "creation of a comprehensive social security system” as among
the main objectives of the 12th administration, adding, "The elimination of
poverty depends on the creation of jobs and creation of jobs and generation of
wealth requires extensive investment and access to [global] markets and advanced
technologies.”
The president described "increasing [domestic] production and job creation” as
the main priority of the 12th administration, adding, "We have devised our
economic plan on the basis of the general policies of the establishment,
especially the policies of the Economy of Resistance and Article 44 [of the
Iranian Constitution] with the goal of bringing about an economic revolution.”
Underlining the need for interaction with the world, Rouhani added, "Weathering
the toughest sanctions was made possible through a combination of ‘powerful
diplomacy’ and ‘possession of defensive deterrent power.’”
The president described the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers
– known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – as a sign of Iran’s
goodwill for global interaction, saying, "Now, with the support of the people
who created the great epic of the elections, we stress [the necessity of]
constructive and effective interaction with the world within framework of the
Constitution.”
Rouhani described the conclusion of the elections as the beginning of a new era
of "harmony and cooperation” and added, "It is now time for everyone to promote
the efficiency of the establishment and obtain people’s satisfaction through
dialogue and choice of the best solutions and [also] by taking advantage of the
power and innovation of all creative forces.”
At the beginning of the session, Iran’s Minister of Interior Abdolreza Rahmani
Fazli presented a report on the process of the 12th presidential election.
Rahmani-Fazli described the most important message of the huge turnout in the
elections as people’s belief in the ideals of the Islamic Revolution and added,
"Security, wholesomeness, lawfulness and maximum turnout were the four important
features of the recent elections.”
The interior minister pointed to efforts made to safeguard people’s votes and
ensure security of the elections, saying, "The presidential election was held in
62,381 polling stations across the country and in 103 countries of the world,
and eventually the Guardian Council verified authenticity of the elections
without invalidating even a single ballot box.”