In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O' the Transformer of hearts and eyes,
O' the Planner of night and day,
O' the Transmuter of power and dispositions,
Change our condition into the best of conditions.
I felicitate the entire Iranian nation and honorable compatriots, especially the esteemed families of martyrs, war-disabled veterans, devotees and all those striving selflessly, as well as other nations that celebrate Norouz Festival on the New Year and auspicious Norouz Festival.
We are embracing the New Year after experiencing several pleasant and bitter incidents over the past year. Surely if tragic incidents like earthquake, flood, fire and other calamitous events and natural catastrophes had not occurred over the past year, our nation would have welcomed the New Year much more enthusiastically. We pray to Almighty Allah to destine the New Year to be a year of well-being, security, happiness and prosperity for the Iranian nation.
Last year was called the 'Year of Accountability". It was the year of accountability of government officials to the Iranian nation. Some officials answered the people's queries in an appropriate manner. Altogether, the main objective of the 'Year of Accountability' was fulfilled, since it was mainly intended to revive the spirit of questioning in the Iranian nation and to make government officials feel that they should be accountable to the nation.
Still, it should be noted that asking and answering questions was not something particular to last year, as the inquiry of the nation and accountability of officials will continue in the years ahead. But of course the way officials answer the questions will affect the people's judgments and their choices in the future.
The coming year is an important year because presidential elections, which bear great significance with regard to the fate of the nation and country over the next four years, will be held in its first quarter and also because it is the first year of the enforcement of the 20-Year Perspective Document, which has been drawn up by the Islamic system for the next two decades. From this year on, the Five-Year Plans will be formulated and budgets will be drawn up based on this document. Furthermore, it will provide a framework for the government officials' policies and programs.
Therefore, the year which is about to begin is the year of two momentous undertakings: the holding of presidential elections and the commencement of the 20-Year Perspective Document. It is important that officials deal with their duties in a more responsible manner, and that the three government branches consider what has been entrusted to them by the 20-Year Perspective Document a great responsibility toward the future of the country.
Although during the next 20 years, governments take office for a rather short period of four years, each of these four-year terms constitutes a ring in a crucial chain that determines the fate of the country over the next two decades. In particular, it is essential to provide a sound infrastructure and firm cornerstones for this important document over the first few years of its implementation, so that it may be established on solid foundations and in order that, God willing, it may provide a smooth road to progress and development for the Iranian nation.
What is of utmost importance to both the Iranian people and officials is cooperation, i.e. national unity and solidarity in the face of what officials are expected to carry out. Treading this path, on the one hand, and cooperation between the people and officials on the other will assist us in accomplishing these noble objectives.
Therefore, this year, 'National Solidarity and Public Participation' is going to be the chief slogan of the Iranian nation. Surely, public participation, whether in the area of elections or in other areas handled by the present and future government, as well as national solidarity will prove conducive to the implementation of various plans and programs.
I pray to Almighty Allah to bestow happiness and prosperity on the Iranian nation and confer success on government officials in serving the people. I invoke the blessed prayer of His Holiness Baqiyatollah (Imam of the Age) for the Iranian nation and also pay homage to the sacred soul of our magnanimous Imam (late Imam Khomeini), who laid the foundations of this magnificent edifice.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings