Statements in an Interview with IRIB Reporters After Participating in the Elections

The reporter from the Central News Unit: I greet you; good morning to you.

Ayatollah Khamenei: Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.

The reporter from the Central News Unit: The political epic you envisioned has begun; what is your expectation from the people and those involved in the elections for the complete realization of this epic?

Ayatollah Khamenei: In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We thank God Almighty for granting us and our dear nation the opportunity to once again engage in an action that is influential in the destiny of the country. As you pointed out, this is truly an epic; and God willing, today the Iranian nation will demonstrate that they will create an epic in the true sense of the word. My humble expectation from our dear nation is that everyone participates; and I recommend that they arrive early, not to delay - for in delay there are pitfalls - meaning that they should not let it get too late, especially in the early morning, during the first half of the day.

I voted for 31 individuals for the city council. Of course, I knew some of these individuals personally, while I did not know others; however, I trusted the lists that were proposed and provided. We took one of them, and based on our trust in them, we wrote down the names of the others whom we did not know. We hope that God willing, He will bless them and that they can fulfill their duties well in Tehran, and that in all cities and villages, God willing, committed and dedicated individuals will be elected.

For the presidency, I found one individual among those present and chose him. I have not told anyone until now; even those close to me - my family, my children - are unaware of whom I voted for. It is the duty of the people to investigate; they must have researched by now and chosen someone they wish to vote for. We hope that God will bless the people's choice and that what is good for this country and this nation, leading to the material and spiritual prosperity of the people, will be realized, God willing. The main thing is that everyone participates.

I have a recommendation for the esteemed individuals who are responsible for the ballot boxes and for counting and reading the votes, and that is to know that the people's vote is a trust in their hands and a right of the people; that is, preserving the trust in this matter is a right of the people. As you know, one must pay more attention to the rights of the people, and breaching the rights of the people is more difficult than breaching the rights of God. Therefore, they must pay great attention in this regard.

Our dear nation should enter with enthusiasm and motivation; they should know that the destiny of the country is in their hands, and the happiness of this nation depends on their choice; both in selecting a worthy individual and in entering the stage of selection itself; this very entry into the selection stage has an impact on the happiness of the country. Thus, you see that the opponents of the Iranian nation and the enemies of the Iranian nation have been trying - for some time now - to make the people either despair, or become distrustful, or lazy, or indifferent, so that they do not come to the ballot boxes. Now, this obstruction from the press and media has gone beyond that; it has reached the politicians of the enemy front; they even intervene. You see that well-known political figures in the West, those who are affiliated with the enemy front, are actively working against the people's participation. Recently, I heard that someone from the U.S. National Security Council said that we do not accept these elections in Iran. Well, good for you that you do not accept it! If the Iranian nation were to wait for what you accept and what you desire, and act accordingly, they would be left behind. The Iranian nation looks to see what it needs and what is in its interest, and it will pursue that. God willing, may God Almighty bless today for the Iranian nation; and help the minds and hearts of the people so that what is worthy of them, what is in accordance with the dignity of the Iranian nation, will come to pass, God willing.

The reporter from Radio Iran: I would like to congratulate you on behalf of all my colleagues in the national media, especially my colleagues at Radio Iran, on the occasions of Sha'ban. You, like in previous years, came to the ballot box at the very first moments - that is, at eight o'clock in the morning. My interpretation is that you want to convey a message with this timely presence at the ballot box to our compatriots. Let us hear from you.

Ayatollah Khamenei: God willing, you will be successful. I said, the message is to participate, to participate on time, and to appreciate this opportunity. I also congratulate all of you who are present here and all the Iranian nation on these blessed occasions. God willing, you will be successful.