Interview with the Leader of the Revolution After Participating in the Elections

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I extend greetings from the present assembly — especially the media community of the country — to the esteemed Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution; good morning to you.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.

The tenth presidential election is, in fact, the first election of the fourth decade of the Islamic Revolution, which you have named the decade of progress and justice. The people of Iran are eagerly awaiting your remarks regarding today's elections. Thank you.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We thank God Almighty for granting the Iranian nation the opportunity to participate once again in a great national test. Elections are a manifestation of the active, enthusiastic, and vibrant presence of the people in the political arena of the country. As I observe and hear, thanks be to God, the enthusiasm and movement of the people in this election is very high; we attribute this to the presence of various candidates and the awareness and awakening of the people, and we thank God. We hope that God Almighty grants the people the success to pass this great test well with their dense presence at the ballot boxes. And God willing, it is decreed by the Almighty that the best and most deserving individual be appointed as the head of the executive branch for a period of four years. Certainly, when the people are present with faith and enthusiasm, God Almighty will also bestow His grace.

As usual, my request from the people is that from the very beginning of the day, they go to the ballot boxes. Everyone should go, everyone should vote, act according to their own judgment, and take their share in managing the country and determining the high executive management of the country. This is both a right and, at the same time, a duty. It is the right of all our people to express their opinions; their duty is the same. In my opinion, this is both a religious obligation and a rational obligation — that is, a reasonable one — to carry out this task.

Another point I wish to convey to our dear people is this. First, I must thank them for the enthusiastic presence they have shown in recent days and even at night — as I have been informed — in the streets. Each group was chanting according to their own desires and opinions, but the growth and awareness of the people prevented any bitter incidents from occurring; they are present, they express their slogans, they show their enthusiasm, but at the same time, they demonstrate their growth, maturity, and rational maturity. The security of the elections is very important. We have had elections for thirty years, and thanks be to God, security has always been maintained during the elections. This is a great blessing; it stems from divine grace and from the awareness and understanding of our people. Today, I hope and urge the people to pay attention, that this security, this calmness, and this necessary mental composure exist within them. There may be ill-wishers who want to create unrest at the voting centers; any unrest will be detrimental to the ballot boxes; that is, it will be harmful to the votes of the people and to the people themselves; if anyone wishes to create such unrest, the people should not allow it and, with composure, patience, and dignity, prevent the ill-wishers' desires from being realized.

Do not listen too much to rumors. I saw yesterday and last night — in the numerous text messages that people have — rumors being attributed to me that were pure lies and had no basis in reality. Well-meaning and healthy individuals do not engage in such actions; unhealthy individuals do these things; in all sectors and groups, there may be individuals with ill intentions who lack goodwill. Do not pay attention to these rumors. Today, there may again be rumors regarding various aspects of the elections among the people; our trust, first and foremost — at the beginning and the end — is in God's grace and divine assistance, and we seek help from God Almighty, and secondly, it is in the awareness, growth, and vigilance of the people.

Once again, I extend my greetings to all segments of our dear nation and hope that God Almighty makes today a blessed day for our nation. I sincerely thank you, the esteemed journalist, and the respected journalists present here, as well as all the officials involved in the elections — friends who are present here — and those who are working behind the scenes in the Ministry of Interior. Long live you.

Goodbye.