Statements in Meeting with the President and Representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially the Awaited One on earth.

Welcome to the Hussainiyah associated with the esteemed Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), and welcome to this assembly. God willing, your presence in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, which is a very important and sensitive place, will be a source of goodness, blessing, and divine mercy for you, the country, and the people. I thank Mr. Qalibaf, the esteemed Speaker of the Assembly; he has expressed very good points, and I will also address some of his remarks.

Much has been said about the Assembly — reminders, recommendations, and sometimes criticisms — but there are also unspoken words, and some points are worth repeating; some matters do not have a problem with repetition. Therefore, I have noted a few points to share with my dear brothers and sisters.

The first point: The Assembly is not merely an inquisitive institution; it is also a responsive one. Contrary to the perception of many who think that the Assembly issues orders to the government by enacting laws and then questions and impeaches it, yes, these duties exist, but it is also accountable. The Assembly is one of the pillars of the country, a decision-making body, an acting institution, and every decision-making and acting entity or individual is also accountable. Therefore, the Assembly must always keep its accountability in mind. There are duties it must perform; if it does not, it will be questioned. There are actions it must not take; if it does, it will be criticized. To whom should the Assembly be accountable? First and foremost, to God. We are believers; we know there is a Day of Judgment when we will be questioned about the details of our actions. When you enact a law or sign a decree, you must answer for it. We all must think about this great responsibility. This responsibility before God is greater than all other responsibilities and questions and deserves more attention. Then, there is accountability to the people. Now, if the people observe something unexpected from the Assembly, they will not necessarily confront the Assembly; that is, there is no legal mechanism for this, but in their behavior, in their methods, in their reactions, one can observe their satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

Over the past few decades, we have seen Assemblies that have taken actions that the people did not approve of, and they did not like those actions; the result has been that the agents of those actions have fallen from the people's eyes. We have experienced and observed these over the years. Each and every esteemed representative must pay attention to this point of "accountability"; they should adjust their behavior, speech, statements, votes, and positions with regard to this point. This is the first point.

The second point concerns cooperation among the branches. The Assembly is an important part of the political system of the country. It is obvious that different parts of the system must come together to form a "whole," a "unified entity"; that is, the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, as well as the armed forces — which are somewhat part of the executive branch — must collectively create a whole. If a whole is to be formed, then they must interact with each other, work together, assist one another, sometimes overlook each other, and at times remind each other; we may discuss some of these cases during the talk. The reason I have always advised Assemblies over the years to cooperate with governments is that it is very important; this collective, composed of the opinions and hearts of the entire country, must be able to play a role in creating that cohesive whole that our country, our people, and our system need. Of course, I also give this advice to governments in their own context. Fortunately, the President is here, and I do not know if he is legally a representative or not, but he is present. I always advise governments regarding the Assembly. Sometimes, some governments behave in such a way that they do not submit bills. They complain to me that they have been waiting for months, and this government is not submitting a bill or is not implementing a resolution; we have had such cases in governments as well. We have always advised this. Ultimately, as dear brothers and sisters representing the Assembly, one of your important tasks is the issue of interaction. My strong recommendation that I have noted here is constructive interaction with the new government. Everyone should help the elected President to fulfill his responsibilities towards the country. If we can behave in a way that enables the President to succeed, that success is ours; if he achieves success in managing the country, advancing the economy, addressing international issues, and cultural matters, we all have succeeded; his victory is our victory; we must truly believe this from the bottom of our hearts.

In important matters of the country, a unified voice must be heard. In significant issues, which of course you will determine, there are times when the government, the Assembly, and various officials must speak with one voice so that those who are listening worldwide, who are keen to find signs of disagreement and duality, become disappointed; a single voice must be heard.

The third point relates to the supremacy of ethics in the public discussions of the Assembly. My dear ones! The Assembly must be a center for spreading and issuing calmness and tranquility to the public thoughts of the country; you must emit positive waves from the Assembly for the people; the Assembly must not be a source of tension in the public thoughts of the people; nor should it engage in negative portrayals, which have sometimes been seen in some Assemblies from certain representatives; of course, most representatives have always adhered to these important and valid principles; we truly say this without reservation; the reality is that, however, in some cases, the opposite has been observed. The presence of representatives, not only in the Assembly but also in public gatherings — many of you participate in public gatherings, in Friday prayers, in various cities before the sermons — or in the virtual space, which today dominates many activities, must be calming; it must not be divisive. Wherever you speak, express an opinion, or give a view, your audience should feel reassured that you are in favor of unity, agreement, and cooperation among forces; you must not send a contrary message. This is about maintaining the psychological security of the people, and it is an important matter. Of course, we must not be oblivious; I firmly believe and am aware that the enemy's cyber army is waiting to exploit; sometimes they insult you in the name of your political rival to provoke you; or they insult a respected figure, or a reputable religious or political personality to incite you; this also exists. Attention must be paid to this; that is, whatever you see in the virtual space, if it contradicts your opinion, do not always believe that it was posted by someone who is your political rival or opponent; no, it may have been posted by a common enemy of both of you.

The fourth point concerns legislation. Legislation is the primary and important duty of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Law is the rail-laying, the creation of a roadmap for the movement of the executive powers of the country; that is what law is. The goal of the law must be the advancement of the country and service to the people.

A good law has certain characteristics. One of the characteristics of a good law is that it is based on expertise. Of course, I am aware that the Research Center of the Assembly is doing good work and that various experts are invited to the commissions; we are aware of these. The more a law is based on expertise, the better it is; this is one characteristic. Secondly, it must be unambiguous. A law that is not explicit and is open to interpretation can be exploited by those who are inclined to misuse it — I have referred to them as "law-breaking legalists". Do not allow this; make the law unambiguous and explicit. Another point is that it must be executable considering the country's capacity; sometimes the Assembly passes a law that the government cannot implement; that is, the country's resources and capabilities, whether due to budget or various other issues, cannot bear this burden. This must also be observed. It must comply with higher-level documents; one of the necessary points for a good law is compliance with higher-level documents; there should be no conflict.

Another issue regarding the law is that it should not create congestion, which I will elaborate on later. Legal congestion is one of our problems. Sometimes multiple laws are passed on a single subject with commonalities and differing points, from which exploiters can take advantage. Legal congestion is truly a problematic issue for the country. Sometimes it is suggested that we tell the Assembly to sit down and resolve legal congestion; I fear that half of the Assembly's term will be consumed by this task if they want to sit down and reduce congestion! However, in any case, be mindful of this matter in legislation.

The point I mentioned earlier is that the Constitution has left the Assembly free to propose bills; that is, in cases where you do not have a government bill and there is an important issue, you can propose a bill. Well, a proposal is good, but if we overdo it in presenting this proposal — which I have received reports of some excesses — this will cause problems. Whenever a problem arises in the country, instead of waiting for a legal bill and following up on the government's actions, we immediately prepare a proposal! This itself causes legal congestion; that is, in presenting proposals, we must truly limit ourselves to the minimum necessary and not more, so that if it exceeds, one of the causes of legal congestion is the very presentation of proposals. Now, in the Assembly that you have entered, there are many proposals that addressing them — addressing and issuing them — will take years. This is also an issue.

Of course, another reminder regarding the law is that sometimes governments need a law for an urgent matter. This has repeatedly happened to us; an urgent issue arises in international relations, in a fundamental economic matter, in a construction issue that must be acted upon immediately, but there is no law. In such cases, governments take the easy route; they come to us asking for the Leader's permission to act without a law. Of course, I usually refrain from this unless we are forced by necessity. In these cases, it is better for the Assembly, when faced with a government's request — in cases of urgency — to expedite legislation; this is another reminder regarding the law.

Of course, you know that the general policies related to legislation have been communicated for a long time; for these policies to be implemented, laws are necessary; the Assembly itself must pass laws for these policies; this legislation has not yet been done; this must be done sooner. This is also the fourth point.

The fifth point is about oversight. Of course, the term "oversight" is not in the Constitution — there is no title "Oversight of the Assembly" — but the numerous provisions regarding questions, reminders, investigations, and inquiries in the Assembly indicate the necessity of oversight; that is, when you investigate or inquire or remind, it is for what purpose? To gain information. Therefore, oversight of the executive branch is one of the Assembly's duties. I have two reminders in this regard: The first reminder is that the goal of oversight is to "enhance the efficiency of the government." This is so that if there is a problem in the government's work, you, as the Assembly, recognize it, identify it, remind them, and enhance the government's efficiency so that work progresses; this is the goal of oversight. May God forbid that oversight arises from a purpose other than this; that is, suppose a person has a problem with a minister, they remind, question after question, or even impeach and similar matters; factional issues, personal issues, and political matters must not interfere at all. Oversight should only arise from this: a feeling of a deficiency in the executive branch, and a reminder and attention to it and an effort to resolve it; this is one matter regarding oversight.

Another point is that regarding oversight, we should neither overdo it nor neglect it. Sometimes, for various considerations, oversight is not performed where it should be; this is also wrong. Sometimes, oversight is excessive; multiple questions are asked. I can tell you that in these years — in these few years that we have been in charge — now that I think about it, almost all governments' ministers have approached me and complained about the excessive questioning in the Assembly; they said that whether in the Assembly hall or in the commissions, they are taken and spend several hours of our time being questioned, questioned repeatedly, and doing such things. There should be no excess. Of course, there should be no neglect either; that is, where you should ask questions, where you should exercise oversight, you must do so, but it should be fair; oversight must be conducted fairly; personal and political considerations must not come into play.

And now the sixth point; a committee has been formed in the Assembly to oversee the performance of representatives. Those who have experience remember; a reminder was given in a certain period, representatives quickly went and formed a committee to oversee the performance of representatives. What is the philosophy of this committee? Its philosophy is that sometimes a representative, out of negligence or for any motive, takes an action that puts all 290 representatives under scrutiny. That is, with the action of one person, an entire Assembly falls from the people's eyes; this should not happen; prevention must be done; if prevention is not possible, then remedy must be sought; this is important. We have not been able to see and understand that as much as we should have and as much as was expected from this committee, work has been done. This is also our next recommendation.

The seventh point is about the Assembly's presence in global issues and matters related to foreign policy. The Assembly is a heavy weight; governments in the world use this heavy weight of their Assemblies; both in negotiations, in interactions, and in practical collaborations. In negotiations, when you say something at the negotiation table, the other side says, "Sir! Our Assembly does not allow it; we have laws; we cannot do it"; they use the Assembly as a backing in negotiations. In various challenges that exist with governments — naturally, the government may face various challenges — the Assembly can give weight to the government, empower it; thus, your presence in political, international, and diplomatic matters is important.

One example of good work was the Strategic Action Law in the previous Assembly; this was one of the very good works. Of course, some protested and criticized; this criticism is absolutely unfounded and it was a very correct action. This presence can be very effective. Now, various forms of presence; sometimes, for example, through the travels and meetings of the Speaker of the Assembly; like this recent trip that Mr. Qalibaf had, in this session that was held, which was a beneficial and fruitful trip that the esteemed government can make great use of. Or the trips that inter-parliamentary delegations make, or even without these, a statement; suppose, for example, an issue like the Palestinian issue arises, the Gaza issue arises; you issue a statement, this has a significant impact on the public atmosphere of the world regarding this issue. Or even without a statement, sometimes representatives' speeches. I have sometimes expressed my expectation; in certain cases, it is expected that representatives in the Assembly speak regarding this important foreign policy issue, make a speech. This is common in the world; for example, suppose the head of the Foreign Policy Commission has said something; this becomes well-known in the world. Many actions are taken by Assemblies, and governments utilize the backing of Assemblies' actions. This comprehensive law against American sanctions against the Islamic Republic, against Iran, which is known as CISADA; this was passed by their Assembly; of course, the Democratic President of that year — a duplicitous and ill-intentioned person who was both duplicitous and ill-intentioned, and more cunning than our officials; one can see this in some interactions — signed it. He could have refrained from signing; he claimed that he wanted to cooperate with Iran regarding the nuclear issue and such matters, but at the same time, he signed it! Their Assemblies enacted this comprehensive law; Assemblies do these things. Therefore, the Assembly can be active in this regard.

In this issue of sanctions — which is widely discussed; especially during election times, it was repeated in various statements of candidates and their supporters — the Assembly can be present and truly impactful. We can; we can remove sanctions through honorable means, and even beyond removing sanctions, neutralizing sanctions is in our hands. I have repeatedly said that lifting sanctions is not in your hands — you must devise a way; it is in the hands of the other side — but neutralizing sanctions is in your hands; there are good ways to neutralize sanctions, some of which we have pursued, and we have seen their effects; that is, government officials have gone, and we have seen their effects, and it has been very good, and this can be done. Assemblies in this regard — our dear Assembly — can play a role.

The eighth and final point regarding the urgent work of the Assembly is voting on the cabinet that Mr. Pezeshkian (may God protect him) will present to the Assembly; this is your urgent and immediate task. Of course, the sooner the proposed cabinet is approved — now after the necessary actions are taken — and the government begins its work, the better it is for the country; however, in this regard, both you and the esteemed elected President have heavy responsibilities. Who will be the leader in this field? In the fields of economy, culture, construction activities, production; who will take the lead? The one who should be made the leader must be "trustworthy," "honest," "pious," and fundamentally "believe in the Islamic Republic and the Islamic system." "Faith" is an important criterion. "Hope for the future," a positive outlook on the horizon, is one of the important criteria. Those who see the horizon as dark and believe that nothing can be done should not be given essential and key responsibilities. "Religiousness," being religious, is one of the important criteria. "Reputation for integrity and honesty" is a criterion. These criteria must be observed; both the esteemed President and the Assembly must adhere to them; that is, you have a shared responsibility in selecting the country's officials. They must not have a "bad history"; this is one criterion. They must have a "national outlook"; that is, they should not be immersed in factional and political issues, but have a national perspective on the country. They must be "efficient." These can be understood through investigation. Of course, efficiency is usually recognized after they start working, but through investigation, looking at backgrounds, and listening to their words, efficiency can also be discerned. These are necessary.

In my opinion, this is a very important responsibility that rests on both you and the esteemed President to carry out; God willing, a good, efficient, useful, religious, and revolutionary cabinet will come to power and be able to advance the country's issues. This is our prayer, our hope. We pray for all of you; I pray for the elected President, for all of you, and for the Speaker of the Assembly. This is our constant prayer; regardless of who the President is or who the Speaker of the Assembly is or who the head of the judiciary is, our prayer always includes them. We hope that God willing, you will be successful.

The issue of Gaza remains the foremost issue of the Islamic world. What I have said about foreign issues and the activities of the diplomatic sphere for the Assembly is exemplified by the Gaza issue; do not rest, do not remain silent; the work is important. It is true that after months, that initial fervor is not present in many individuals, but the truth is that the same importance that existed in the early days still exists today, perhaps even more. The power of resistance is showing itself more and more. A vast military, political, and economic apparatus like America is fighting against a resistance group behind the usurping Zionist regime, and they have not been able to bring them to their knees; because they cannot bring Hamas to its knees, because they cannot bring the resistance to its knees, they vent their frustrations on the people, dropping bombs on the heads of the people, schools, hospitals, children, and women; the utmost crime and savagery is being perpetrated before the eyes of the world; the world is indeed judging against the wicked usurping regime. The issue is not over; it continues; be active, God willing.

We hope that the Almighty God brings forth what is good for Islam and Muslims, what is good for you, and what is good for the nation, God willing; and that we can at least have an excuse before the Almighty God for the actions we take, to be able to say something and have our actions defensible before the Divine.

May God protect all of you; may He be pleased with the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), and may He make the sacred heart of the Awaited One (may our souls be sacrificed for him) pleased and content with us.

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