Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the parliament should exercise effective impact on social progress of the nation.
In a meeting with members of the new parliament, the Leader said that the MPs should see themselves as representatives of the poor and follow up their demands.
The Leader called on the parliament to undertake the monitoring task both through lawmaking and activating the main supervisory means especially the Audit Court.
The Leader advised the MPs to avoid encounter with the institutes under their supervision. Such contacts will spoil the effective role of Majlis in both lawmaking and supervision, he said. The Leader said that Majlis has effective role in international affairs too. "The stance being taken by Majlis can disappoint the big powers from restoring their hegemony over the nation once again."
The Leader dismissed the Japanese or Chinese model of development for Iran and said that Iran's development plan should go in line with cultural, historical and religious identity of the nation. "We should use experience of other nations, but, we will not follow the models advised by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) or other countries." The Leader advised the MPs to avoid idealism and said, "You should not be satisfied with the current situation. You should proceed with adopting new methods to get practical results in line with the ideals." The Leader made it clear that the 20-year strategy for the economic, social and cultural development should go ahead. "If all pillars of the governing system fulfill their obligations in line with the 20-year strategy, national development will be materialized." The Leader distanced himself from the idealistic perception of 'being in subdued mood' to Velayat-e Faqih and said that such a theory is meaningless. "We all should work for the nation. Islam advocates prosperity of the nation."
The Leader urged the parliament to fight corruption and said that financial corruption is just like AIDS or cancer spoiling the entire national wealth.
Prior to the Leader's remarks, Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel said that the seventh parliament would fight poverty, financial corruption, discrimination and would work for restoration of social justice.