Supreme Leader Hails Iran's Democratic Electoral System

TEHRAN (FNA)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei lauded the democratic system of holding elections in Iran, saying people's vote is of paramount importance and plays the main role in the Islamic Republic's election system.


Addressing thousands of people at the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, the late Founder of the Islamic Republic, Supreme Leader also called for a massive turnout in the upcoming presidential election, and said all the people should make efforts to protect the Islamic Revolution and thwart enemies' plots to portray Iran's elections as undemocratic.

He also cautioned the presidential candidates against slandering each other in election campaigns and debates to garner support of the people.

The 10th Presidential Election in Iran is due to be held on June 12. Four applicants have qualified to stand the upcoming presidential election, including incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi Khamene, ex-Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi and Principlist politician and former chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai Mir-Qaed.

The candidates officially started their campaign on May 22, which will last for 20 days.

The Iranian interior ministry has said the final results of the presidential election will be declared a day after the event, i.e. June 13.

Iranian officials have said that 46.2 million Iranians are eligible to vote.

Obama changes tone on Iran nuclear issue

US President Barack Obama has admitted Washington's past mistakes toward Tehran, saying Iran has right to peaceful nuclear technology.

In a keynote Thursday speech at Cairo University, Obama said "any nation -- including Iran -- should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty."

Tehran has repeatedly argued that as an NPT-signatory, it has the right to use nuclear energy for civilian purposes.

This is while Israel -- believed to be the only nuclear-armed power in the Middle East -- has so far refused to sign the treaty.

"No single nation should pick and choose which nations hold nuclear weapons," Obama said.

In a reference to Israel, Obama said he understood protests "that some countries have weapons that others do not", adding that there should not be a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

The US president acknowledged that it will be hard to "overcome decades of mistrust" but said he is committed to moving forward in relations with the Islamic Republic with mutual respect and without preconditions.

Since taking office as the US president in January, Obama talked of a policy change toward Iran, saying the US would extend a hand of peace to Iran if it "unclenched its fist".

Iran was invited to an international conference on Afghanistan in March. Washington has also backed Tehran's participation in a G8 meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan later this month.

Tehran demands that Washington manifest a 'genuine' change in action rather than a change in tone by withdrawing its allegations against the country and lifting anti-Iran sanctions which were extended for another year by the Obama administration.