Statements of the Supreme Leader in Meeting with Members of the Guardian Council's Election Supervisory Board

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

Honorable gentlemen and dear brothers; welcome and thank you for your efforts. As mentioned, the day of Ramadan, the cold weather, and the distant paths require great determination for you to gather here. I am also grateful that you have come here and accepted this heavy burden of divine and revolutionary trust upon your shoulders, and God willing, you will carry it safely.

Honorable gentlemen! The issue of elections is a very important, fundamental, and decisive matter. The importance of elections is from various aspects. One of them is that our system is based on the faith, emotions, and affections of the people. Essentially, the secret of the invincibility of this system is that it relies on the people. This is significant. Reliance on the people is not easily achieved and does not occur everywhere. If there is no divine secret involved, the attention of the souls and hearts of the people is also not possible. Consider that the Almighty God says to the great Prophet: "He it is Who strengthened you with His help and with the believers"; meaning He brings the believers alongside divine assistance. It is not far-fetched to say that this "with the believers" is an interpretation of a part of the concept of "with His help," meaning that divine assistance is realized through the believers. Of course, there were instances of assistance beyond ordinary categories during the time of that great figure - such as the angels and others - but the main ones are the believers. Then He says: "If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah united them." Meaning, O our noble Prophet! This "with the believers" that we say, do not think that you were able to attract them yourself; no - this is not the work of me and us and not the work of material and human factors - this is a divine and spiritual secret.

Now the finer point here is that this divine and spiritual secret is also definable. It is not something to say that your people's intellect does not reach it and only a few understand these things; no. This is a clear matter. This divine secret is faith. When faith boils in the hearts of the people and flows into action, the result is that any phenomenon based on divine faith is strengthened. Here, because the system is a divine and Quranic system and the people are also believers and reliant on religion and everything related to religion, it is natural that such a system can be easily continued with these people, and these people, without demanding anything from anyone; without imposing any favor on anyone and without asking for any reward for all their sincerity from anyone but God, enter the field. The result is that the greatest political designers and the strongest intelligence networks in the world start working against this country and this system; but their work does not succeed after seventeen years, and God willing, decades of seventeen years will pass, but they will still not succeed. So see how significant the role of the people's presence is. The parliament is the manifestation of the people's opinions in managing this system. Now see how important the parliamentary elections are! The determination of the parliament's affairs and elections must be carried out with such comprehensive consideration. It is not just that we are a democratic country and people must vote and participate; no. This is the basis of the system's existence. The presence of the people has such an impact. Therefore, as Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) said, the parliament is at the head of affairs, and these elections are for such a parliament; hence, anyone involved in these elections in any way must give it importance.

Everyone also has a duty. The people have a duty to participate in the elections and find and elect the right candidates. The people have a duty to look at religious, legal, and revolutionary criteria; not to look at tribal and familial relations and such things. They should see who is truly more suitable and closer to the divine and revolutionary criteria, choose them, and participate in this work with enthusiasm and as a duty. Some people have a duty to encourage and urge others. Those who have eloquent tongues, capable pens, and a reputation among the people - which this reputation is also among the divine reserves and the Almighty God has given it to everyone, it must be used and applied in His way - should explain and encourage the people and introduce good people to them. In introducing candidates for representation, they should consider that no relationship other than religious and divine and legal duty should be involved. So-and-so is our friend, so-and-so is our acquaintance, so-and-so benefits us; absolutely do not consider these things. Of course, whatever they do, the people must keep their eyes open; they must truly know and understand what they are doing.

The officials of election affairs, including the executive officials, which is the Ministry of Interior, and the Guardian Council, which is responsible for supervision, have heavy duties. Any slight disturbance in this great work is truly a sin and a crime. Do not let the slightest disturbance occur in this important matter. In this regard, I have noted two or three points to mention to you:

Firstly - as we have always said - in the matter of supervision, the law and standards must be the criterion and not personal tastes and preferences. Absolutely do not follow personal tastes, and it should not be that a person at some point decides that if this individual is not in the parliament, it is a loss for the parliament; if this person is there, it is beneficial for the parliament; then contrary to standards and regulations, this taste is applied. You must do something that you can answer to the Almighty God and His servants. If you are asked why you rejected this person, you should say: O Lord! I was obliged to act according to the regulations. The regulations said so, and I rejected this person; or the regulations said so, and I approved this person; but that I judged this way, I understood this way, I considered this person harmful, I considered this person beneficial; these are not acceptable. Neither the Almighty God will accept these, nor the servants of God. You must act according to standards and regulations. No consideration should prevent the application of regulations.

The second point is that if the Guardian Council reaches a conclusion in this matter that is in accordance with the law and regulations, it must act decisively. Nothing should prevent decisive legal action. In all matters, especially in such matters that face various thoughts, emotions, feelings, beliefs, and opinions, decisiveness is essential.

The third point is that the Guardian Council is a point of guarantee and security for the Islamic system. This is very important. I reminded about the importance of the work of the honorable Guardian Council in the previous term; now it is necessary to mention this again. The Guardian Council in the structure of the Islamic Republic system is not like other organizations and structures that we say there are various organs and structures; some are more important, some are less important; this is also one of them; no. The Guardian Council, like some phenomena of a system - such as the constitution - has a special status. The Guardian Council is an organization that if it is good and works correctly, this system will no longer have the danger of deviation from religion. This is not a small thing. This is not comparable to other things. See how much damage we suffered from deviation from religious standards from the constitutional era to the victory of the Islamic Revolution! For decades, this country suffered losses; because deviation from religious principles occurred. Although the basis of constitutionalism was built on religion; it was not observed, and that first-class issue was not considered. Then there was opposition to religion, and the religious phenomena of that system disappeared; but the non-religious ones were strengthened, and it became what you saw, what damage a country and a nation suffered during the several decades from the constitutional era to the victory of the Islamic Revolution. One of the greatest losses was the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty; the dominance of that strange dictatorship, truly rare in history. Know that when a system does not have a guarantee of survival on a religious path, these things await it.

The Guardian Council prevents the Islamic system from deviating from the line of religion and Islam and also from the line of the constitution - which is of secondary importance; but this is also very important. The constitution is the backbone of the system; in fact, it is the main center of the system's nervous system; it is the criterion and standard, and the Guardian Council does not allow the country's apparatuses to deviate from the constitution; it does not allow laws contrary to the constitution to be approved and implemented. Such an apparatus, which has so much importance, must have its dignity, power, respect, and sanctity preserved. Both the honorable gentlemen who are in this council or affiliated with this council - like you gentlemen - must preserve this dignity, respect, and sanctity, and others who are outside the council must do the same. God forbid, let no one from the supervisory boards in a corner of the country do something that opens the mouth of a malicious person and the respect of the Guardian Council is violated; or in expressing matters, speak in such a way that perhaps some people, as an objection - not out of goodwill - violate the sanctity of the Guardian Council. Those who are outside this collection should also observe the same. Those who have a pen in their hands, have a platform at their disposal, should understand that objecting, disrespecting, and violating the sanctity of the Guardian Council is not a small mistake. It is not acceptable and not tolerable.

Of course, the duty of the Guardian Council is very heavy. This duty must be performed with utmost precision and with maximum justice and fairness within the limits of possibility and supervise the work of the supervisors. What the gentlemen supervisors do is completed in the name of the Guardian Council and apparently with the responsibility of the dignitaries of this collection in terms of divine responsibility. This should cause you to double your precision and attention.

Another point is to preserve the respect and dignity of individuals. If problems are seen in their files that it is decided they should not go to the parliament, their problems should not be disclosed and spread, and their dignity should not be violated. Of course, some people may say that you have rejected so-and-so, you must explicitly state the reason. If there is something to be said, there is no problem in saying it; but if there is something unspeakable, the dignity of individuals should not be violated and expressed. Because we have been told this way and pressured, we should not violate the dignity of these people; no. In Islam, the dignity of a believer is very important and should not be violated.

The last point I want to mention is that if the criteria regarding parliamentary representation are really observed, this will also result. Care must be taken that people who are exploitative and do not believe in revolutionary mission and representation responsibility and those who want to enter the parliament just to exploit or, God forbid, to sabotage, do not enter the parliament. You must ensure that the set of conditions that have been put in place yield this result.

Of course, sometimes there may be a weakness in someone; but it is not necessary for a person to see every small thing in individuals and magnify it. For example, someone at some point uttered a word somewhere; or, for example, previously it was like this - Thanks be to God, it is seen less now - that as soon as someone made a slight move that was contrary to the taste of some, they immediately accused him of "opposition to the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist"! No; it is not that now anyone who said a word is considered against the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist. Today, the people of this country have accepted the constitution and the basis of the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist as an important principle, rather the most important principle, and live by it. The point is; individuals cannot be accused of minor things. Attention to insignificant things, narrow-mindedness, and unnecessary precision should be set aside. The essence of the matter is the things that really scare everyone: a money-loving person; a person who is a forerunner of regional lords and bandits, takes advantage of the lack or weakness of supervision and enters the parliament and then wants to work and strive for such individuals; or, for example - as Mr. Jannati expressed in yesterday's Friday prayer - during the elections, they give him money to enter the parliament. If you really recognize such people, reject them without hesitation. If you see people who give money to the people for such things or sweeten the people's mouths, know that these people are unsuitable. When it becomes clear that there are people who, for material matters and in the pursuit of worldly goods, want to usurp the valuable position that the law sets for the people, they must be stopped. The criteria are also aimed at this.

Therefore, the main thing that is necessary in a representative is belief in this system and belief in Islam and the revolution and striving to fulfill a responsibility and commitment. Of course, when we say belief in Islam, we do not mean that non-Muslims cannot come; no. Religious minorities can also come according to the existing standards, the main criterion for those who want to come to the parliament; this is it; that if this exists in someone, the rest of the things can really be looked at with leniency. Unless there is something that is against the law.

In any case, we hope that God will help you; both in the position of knowledge and guidance in necessary matters, and in the position of action and implementation, because strength in implementation is important and requires divine assistance. The upcoming elections, God willing, will be good, clean, fair, and pure - like previous terms - and good representatives and the real elected representatives of the people can enter the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings