The Grand Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei made a visit to the city of Jiroft on the seventh day of his tour of Kerman Province on Saturday, May 7.
Addressing a large and enthusiastic gathering of local residents at Takhti Stadium in Jiroft, the Leader stated that one of the main objectives of the Islamic system is to raise the living standards of the public and promote moral and spiritual values in society. He emphasized that under the Islamic government, poverty and other maladies should be eliminated from society.
Ayatollah Khamenei expressed his gratitude to the Jiroft residents for their devotion and sincerity and noted that the awareness of the faithful and steadfast Iranian nation is the secret of their perseverance and presence on the scene.
The Leader of the Islamic Republic further stated that the Islamic system is characterized by certain qualities such as making incessant efforts to solve the people's problems and remove deprivations from society, opposition to all kinds of dictatorship and self-will, confronting any kind of foreign interference, seeking to administer justice, countering oppression and promoting meritocracy.
"Under the Islamic system, what determines the rank and status of individuals is the extent to which they adhere to spiritual and moral values, not their wealth and power," he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei went on to say, "We are not claiming that we have accomplished all these objectives; however, we believe that we are moving in the direction of achieving these goals."
As regards the major duty of the Leader under the Islamic system, he stated, "The Leader of the Islamic Republic, benefiting from the wholehearted public support and the divine assistance, is expected in conformity with his duties to ensure that the general direction of the Islamic system will not be diverted from Islamic and popular objectives to other goals."
Elsewhere in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic referred to the upcoming presidential elections slated for June 17.
"Public participation in the upcoming presidential elections is of the utmost importance because it manifests our national solidarity, which is the main factor protecting our country against plots and conspiracies. However, voting for the most eligible and competent candidate from among the presidential candidates whose qualifications have been approved also bears great significance," he told the audience.
With respect to the main qualities of the most eligible presidential candidate, Ayatollah Khamenei cited several special features such as having a firm intention to eliminate poverty and corruption from society and presenting appropriate and effective plans to promote economic development and raise the living standards of the public, especially the underprivileged strata.
"The people are advised to vote for a presidential candidate who attaches significance to the nation's material and spiritual progress and the promotion of cultural and moral values in society, a candidate who is efficient and competent enough to accomplish the noble objectives of the Islamic system. Such a candidate should be dynamic, patient, perseverant, prudent and powerful," Ayatollah Khamenei noted.
He also stated, "I hope that with the formation of an efficient, competent and powerful government, the sincere efforts of the previous governments will be augmented and the problems facing the Iranian people, especially the inhabitants of the underprivileged regions, will be resolved and, thus, what the Iranian nation expects of the Islamic system will be rightly fulfilled."
Further in his remarks, the Leader of the Islamic Republic expressed his pleasure over meeting the kind and sincere residents of Jiroft for a second time and referred to the hospitality of the local residents over the years he had been exiled to Jiroft by the former regime. He stated that the faithful, loyal and revolutionary residents of Jiroft have passed different trials since the victory of the Islamic Revolution with honor and dignity.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the constructive measures taken in Jiroft after the revolution as unique and incomparable with the measures taken there before the revolution. Hinting at the abundant natural resources of the region, he further stated, "Any plan for the region should give priority to creating jobs for the young people, maintaining regional security and promoting cultural activities. In general, the Executive and other government branches should prioritize whatever is directly related to the lives of the Iranian citizens."
Before the Leader's speech, the Friday prayer leader of Jiroft, Hojjatoleslam Touyiserkani, welcomed the Leader of the Islamic Republic on behalf of the local residents and presented a report about some local and regional issues.