Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday morning in a meeting with President Ebrahim Raisi and the members of the cabinet: “In my opinion, the most important success of this administration is to revive hope and trust in the people, the total performance of the government, both the honorable president and the officials in the departments gave people the feeling that the administration is striving, and busy working and serve the people. This action restored people’s hope and confidence to a great extent.”

Referring to the one-year achievements of the administration, the Leader gave important recommendations, including the priority of the economic issue, and added: “The people have been the “main hero of the history of the revolution” in all incidents and events, and this fact is a lesson and shows all officials how to behave with this nation.”

Ayatollah Khamenei called the martyrs Rajaee and Bahonar two top managers of the Islamic Revolution and pointed out that martyrdom was the worthy reward of God for these two dear ones, stating: “Negligence and forgetting great events is a dangerous plague that we should all avoid.”

The Leader termed “the general excitement of the nation during the revolution,” “amaze of arrogance vis-a-vis the greatness of the revolution,” “unceasing enmities of the global bullies,” and “the defenselessness of the country and the capital against Saddam’s air attacks,” “the rampage of terrorists throughout the country and insecurity in the first years of the revolution,” “the performance of various administrations and parliaments after the revolution,” “the decisive presence of the nation in the saga of the sacred defense and other fronts to confront the enemies” and “the unreserved and admirable presence of the people in various rallies and ceremonies” among the issues that their memory should always be alive in the minds of the society.

In this context, Ayatollah Khamenei, recalling the nation’s memorable presence at the funeral of martyred general Qasem Soleimani, added: “Similar issues, including the meaningful and extensive presence of people at the funeral of Ayatollah Naseri in Isfahan and the enthusiastic participation of people at the Ghadir celebration, show the general orientations of the nation and it is the right way to continue.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution considered reviewing and propagating the administration’s activities as the second function of Government Week, and pointing to some of the administration’s successes, he made recommendations to the president and the members of the administration.

Ayatollah Khamenei considered revitalizing the hope and trust of the people as the most important success of the administration and added: “People see that the administration is in the scene and is busy working and trying to solve problems and provide services to them, and this fact greatly increases the public’s hope and trust. Of course, these efforts have been successful in some areas, and in some areas, the necessary results have not yet been achieved.”

The Leader called the administration’s provincial trips a bright and important issue and added: “31 trips in the first year of the administration to all over the country including deprived and remote areas, monitoring the works on the scene and deep empathy with the people have been other successes of the administration.”

“The speedy action and presence at the place of natural and unforeseen events as a sign of the administration’s sympathy with the people,” “the removal of negative and controversial rivalries in the relations between the powers that caused confusion in the minds of the people,” “emphasis on the serious care of the three branches of the administration in the continuation of this soothing effort”  and “using youth” were among the other successes of the administration that the leader of the revolution addressed.

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Of course, managers and young officials also make mistakes in some cases, but in general, using young managers and officials in the administration and parliament and nurturing strong managers is worth being patient in the face of these mistakes and gradually eliminating them.”

He called “taking the society out of waiting for others’ decisions and actions,” “avoiding conditioning the country,” and “giving importance to internal capacities” other successes of the executive branch.

The Leader considered the Raisi administration “accountable” and said: “In the last year, the administration neither made excuses nor said “we don’t have the authority” or “others don’t allow us to work.”

“Good approaches in the field of foreign policy and culture” and “highlighting the slogans of the revolution, including seeking justice, supporting the oppressed, avoiding aristocracy and anti-arrogance” were other prominent points of the administration that the leader of the revolution pointed to.

Emphasizing that in the current situation, the main priority is still the economic issues, the Leader noted: “Of course, this does not mean ignoring other topics such as science, security, social damage and culture, but the priority should be economy along with cultural attachment.”

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Underlining that the enemies have adopted a strategy of disappointing the people, the president said, “They are upset and angry that an atmosphere of hope has been created in the country and seek to create despair among the people by making unrealistic claims, so everyone must be vigilant of such attacks.”

Speaking at a cabinet session of Sunday, Ayatollah Raisi referred to various suspicions raised in the media, including the attention of some ministers to the appointment of their relatives, saying, “Ministers and executive officials must respond immediately to false news and claims and not allow negative mentality to prevail in the society.”

The president emphasized, “The purpose of creating doubts is to create despair and hopelessness among the people, and in this regard, unfortunately, some people unknowingly accompany the enemy’s strategy,” according to a readout of the meeting published by the official website of the Iranian presidency.

Ayatollah Raisi added, “Officials, while being careful not to get involved into false trivia, should pay attention to public opinion and respond to suspicions in a documented and reasoned manner.”

He described discrimination in payment of salaries and various employment contracts in government organizations and departments unacceptable and stressed, “One of the important manifestations of justice in the 13th government is a fair payment system and all agencies should work to ensure non-discrimination.”

Referring to the importance of the Public Culture Council, Ayatollah Raisi called on the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance to remove obstacles to the council’s activities.

After the cabinet’s vote of confidence in Mohammad Mahdi Alaei as the Governor-General of Qazvin, Mojtaba Abdollahi as the Governor-General of Alborz and Seyyed Mahmoud Hosseinipour Nouri as the Governor-General of Mazandaran, the president said, “In all three provinces, there are many opportunities for employment and activating tourism economy and digital economy as well as a maritime economy on the shores of Mazandaran, and all capacities must be used to solve the problems of the people, especially to create jobs and eliminate unemployment.”

Pointing out that the 1401 budget has been predicted and planned for 8% economic growth, Ayatollah Raisi added, “The difference between this year’s budget and previous years is that governors-general do not refer to the central government officials for budget and credit, and each province is given credit to play its part in order to achieve 8% growth.”

The president emphasized, “Economic growth will not happen without the presence of all institutions and the granting of shares to each of them, so accordingly, to create 8% growth of all institutions, provinces and governors-general must play a serious role.”

Emphasizing the need to use efficient and revolutionary human resources at different levels of management, Ayatollah Raisi said, “We all have a responsibility to meet the expectations of the people by working around the clock to address their concerns and gain public trust.”

On Saturday, the president held a meeting with the head of the Judiciary and the parliament in which he underlined the need to solve the problems of the people.

The weekly meeting of the heads of the three branches of the government was held this Saturday evening, hosted by Ayatollah Raisi and attended by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Judiciary Chief Hojjatoleslam val-Moslemin Mohseni Eje’i at the office of the president.

In the meeting, the most important issues of the country, especially economic issues and people’s livelihood were discussed and exchanged.

The heads of the branches called the focus on improving the economic situation and solving the livelihood problems as the priorities of the meeting and stressed the need for more cooperation in this field.

In his recent visit to Semnan province, the president said he believes that problems can be solved. “I see a very bright future, and despite all the threats, we believe that problems can be overcome with effort and empathy,” the president said.

He noted, “Some seek their own benefits in serving the people, another one is humanistic service; and the third type is solving people’s problems for God, which solves the problems of society and brings with it God’s pleasure.”

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Polling stations in Iran were opened on Friday morning at 07:00 am local time for the 13th presidential election, the 6th city and village and council elections, as well as the Parliament and the Assembly of Experts’ midterm elections in some constituencies. The stations continued to be open until midnight with a renewal of voting time for a few hours in the cards.

Four presidential candidates were on the ballots: Judiciary chief Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei, Amir-Hossein Qazizadeh-Hashemi, and former Governor of Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati. Initially, there were seven candidates in the race, but three of them withdrew in favor of the remaining candidates in the last days of the presidential campaigns.

In addition to the presidential election, voters elected members for some vacant seats at the Parliament and the Expediency Council. Furthermore, there was a fierce competition for the seats of city and village councils across the country. The competition is of real interest to voters and contenders alike as it directly affects the everyday life of millions of citizens all across the country.

More than 59,310,000 voters were eligible to cast their votes. Among them, about 1,392,000 were first-time voters. Nearly 3.5 million Iranians living abroad were also eligible to cast their votes in polling stations set up by the Iranian Foreign Ministry in 133 diplomatic missions. Inside Iran, voters were required to show their national birth certificate and an ID card called National Card to vote for their favorite candidates. The expatriates, however, can vote using their passports as well.

A number of senior Iranian diplomats participated in the elections while being abroad. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif cast his vote in a ballot box in the Turkish resort city of Antalya, where he is holding diplomatic meetings in the framework of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, an event promoted by Turkey as the Turkish version of the World Economic Forum and the Munich Security Conference.

Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, Zarif’s political aide who is leading the Iranian negotiating team in the Vienna nuclear talks, also participated in the elections in the Austrian capital.

Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Saeed Khatibzadeh said Friday morning that he so far has not received any reports of election violations abroad, adding, “I assure you that polling stations will be open so that the last person who is interested can vote.”

Determining election

The polls kicked off early morning with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution casting his vote and addressing the nation shortly. Speaking after casting his vote, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, said, “It is the people who are controlling what is happening today. It is the people who are determining the country’s future for the coming years by voting.”

Ayatollah Khamenei participated in “the 13th Presidential election,” “the 6th elections for the Islamic city and village councils,” “the midterm elections for the 5th Assembly of Experts” and “the midterm elections for the 11th Islamic Consultative Assembly” and cast his vote at the ballot box in the first moments after the casting of ballots commenced, according to the khamenei.ir.

The Leader referred to the importance of participation of the people in determining the fate of the country on this day. Calling the people’s participation in the elections a wise action, the Leader went on to say, “We repeatedly invite people to participate in the elections. The result of their presence primarily affects the people themselves. Of course, the people’s turnout will also help to gain major advantages for the country in the international arena. However, the ones who mostly benefit from voting are the people.”

In saying that every single vote definitely matters, Ayatollah Khamenei advised the people, “You should participate and do this with a pure, divine intention. I advise you to do this important task at the earliest possible [time]. The sooner you do this, the better.”

In referring to the anniversary of the birth of Imam Ridha (pbuh), the Leader expressed hope that the election day will be a “day of celebration” for the Iranian people and that the nation will benefit from the election. In the end, the Leader thanked the election officials and the journalists who were present.

In addition to the Leader, almost all other high-ranking officials, including President Hassan Rouhani and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf cast their votes and called on the people to do the same. They underlined the importance of elections in empowering the country both internally and externally.

After casting his vote, President Rouhani expressed hope that the current election will result in disappointing the enemies.

“This election is important,” the president said, adding, “Presidential elections are held every four years in the country and are an important matter given the broad powers and responsibilities set out in the law for the president.”

Rouhani acknowledged that the Iranian people are grappling with a host of economic issues but he underlined that “elections are important and that we must go to the polls and cast votes despite problems.”

“I wish we did not have any problems from the day of registration in the elections and we saw more people today. But people know how important these elections are for the country, their own destiny and the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the president noted, pointing to the importance of the international implications of the election.

He added, “I think there are only a few countries in the world whose elections are of interest to the world, otherwise most of the countries in the world when they hold elections are mainly important to their own people. But there are several countries in the world whose elections are of interest to the whole world and they want to understand the participation of the people and who is elected and how it will be. The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the most important countries and it has been like that for 42 years and it is like that today.”

He pointed out that “People should be aware that the whole world today is paying attention to the ballot box, the queues of people to cast their votes. God willing, we will make our friends all over the world happy, all Iranians happy and our enemies disappointed.”

This election is of real importance for a number of reasons. First, it is held after four years of American sever economic pressure on Iran under Donald Trump, who unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of a 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). With a stroke of a pen in May 2018, Trump launched the so-called “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, re-imposing sweeping economic sanctions on the country with the aim of bringing it to its knees. The Trump administration pinned too much hope on driving a wedge between the Iranian people and political establishment through exerting economic pressure. The endgame, many observers believed, was to bring down the establishment by fomenting social unrest and bread riots.

To Trump’s consternation, the Iranians didn’t revolt and continued to support their political system despite economic hardship. This election was the latest indication that the Iranian people still back the Islamic Republic. Ordinary Iranians turned out in large numbers to vote for the candidates they believe are well suited to best serve them. With a stroke of the pen, they are determining their destiny at the ballot box.

Second, the Iranian election is also emblematic of a convivial, healthy political process. In the run-up to the election, Iranian media outlets and social media platforms were abuzz with a heated debate over the electoral process on the whole. The episode began when the Guardian Council, a legal body in charge of vetting the election process, disqualified well-placed figures from running for office. Some commentators accused the vetting body of partisan practices while others underscored the legality of the disqualifications. Some even lauded the body’s courageous decision to disqualify the likes of Ali Larijani, indicating the legally strict procedures for the vetting process. Larijani currently serves as the Leader’s advisor and disqualifying him, proponents argued, sent a message that no one is above the law, even if it was a person as highly-placed as Larijani.

Moreover, the debate even included fervent calls from some critics to shun the vote. But as the polls opened in the morning, people flocked to cast their votes in complete ignorance of these calls. Unofficial reports suggested that nearly 10 million votes were cast in the boxes until mid-day, with some polling stations reporting high voter turnout and, in some cases, shortage of ballot papers.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

He went on to say that cooperative sector began its work strongly but it gradually ran out of steam and lost its stand.

He added that if one looks at political scene of the country will find out that the approach towards the cooperative has totally changed since the beginning of the revolution. Shariatmadari admitted that the country has distanced from the early principles of the Islamic Revolution and it has led to the public discontent and disappointment.

He admitted that people are unhappy that those goods which are imported at official subsidized dollar rate of 42,000 tomans are distributed very expensive and even more expensive than those goods which are imported based on the open market dollar rate.

Shariatmadari added that country’s distribution system in the forex and control of market is unfair and people are right to be unhappy.

He noted that cooperative sector should be revived and it can be a solution for fair distribution of goods.

Meanwhile in the meeting, Head of Iran Chamber of Cooperative Bahman Abdollahi said that cooperative sector does not have enough developmental tools and it owns no financial capabilities but Tose’e Ta’avon (Cooperative Development) Bank.

He added that facilities of the bank do not meet demands of the cooperative sector.

Abdollahi went on to say that the chamber was established almost 25 years ago and it is active in 31 provinces.

He admitted that 90 percent of the cooperative sector laws and regulations are not carried out or they are ignored. He reiterated that although the share of cooperative sector from the national economy has been predicted by 25 percent by 2020but it is a far-fetched target.

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The U.S. government was misleading its public to justify the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan, routinely using inflated data to justify its stay in the war-ravaged country, The New York Times reported on Saturday.

The report comes amid the upsurge in violence and civilian casualties across the war-ravaged country. According to the United Nations, civilian deaths touched record high in the first half of this year, putting a big question mark on America’s longest war in its history.

The NYT report compares the US government’s data with those provided by various international aid agencies and with NYT’s own research and concludes that Washington does not want Americans to know the real situation in Afghanistan.

While the U.S. government says the Taliban control or contest 44 per cent of districts in Afghanistan, the NYT report claims that the insurgents actually control or contest about 61pc area.

“The war has become more expensive, in current dollars, than the Marshall Plan, which helped to rebuild Europe after World War II,” the report claims.

The report also disputes the U.S. military’s claim that the Afghan government effectively “controls or influences” 56pc of the country, saying that in many districts, the Afghan government controls only the district headquarters and military barracks, while the Taliban control the rest.

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