Members of the Experts Assembly called on the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Thursday, August 31.
In an address to the audience, the Leader described the Experts Assembly as a great spiritual asset to the Islamic system. He also referred to the main duty of the Experts Assembly, which is to appoint a new leader in case of the loss and vacuum of leadership, as a unique responsibility.
"If the Experts Assembly members are not always prepared and if they are not quite knowledgeable about the country's situation, nobody will be able to solve the problem arising at the time when there is the loss of leadership in the country. This clearly indicates the significance of the task that has been entrusted to the Experts Assembly," the Leader remarked.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the procedure that has been stipulated in the Islamic Republic's Constitution for establishing the Experts Assembly as the most sensible and prudent procedure.
"The Islamic Republic's Constitution has invested the Iranian people with the right to elect members of the Experts Assembly, so that this spiritual asset may always be ready to perform its momentous responsibility. Otherwise, at the time of a crisis resulting from the loss and vacuum of leadership, if the people were expected to vote for a new leader, or if a specific group were tasked with appointing a new leader, surely certain insolvable problems would arise," Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out.
The Leader of the Islamic Republic further stated that members of the Experts Assembly should be characterized by high scientific, religious, political and social status, "so that the day when they nominate a new leader, the Iranian people may feel sure that they have made the best choice."
Ayatollah Khamenei called on those having the necessary qualifications to stand as candidates in the forthcoming Experts Assembly election. "Whoever feels qualified to run as a candidate in this election has a religious duty to do so," he added.
The Leader also stressed that the massive participation of the Iranian public in the forthcoming election would add to the prestige and high status of the Experts Assembly.