The Latest from Iran (17 October): "We Support Free Elections....In Syria"

0515 GMT: We pick up where we left off on Tuesday, with Iranian State media's presentation of a comment by President Ahmadinejad to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a summit in Azerbaijan: "The only solution to Syria's problems is that influential states in the region, including Iran and Turkey, insist on the holding of free elections in this country."

The Supreme Leader, speaking to Basij militia during his tour of northeastern Iran this week, was also talking about elections, but his initial focus was a warning to those who supposedly threatened the process:

There are those who consider their electoral rival Sheitan-e Akbar [the Great Satan], but it is the United States and Zionism which are the Great Satan, and not the electoral rival....When election activists claim Islam, serve Islam and the revolution, why do some of their supporters consider the opposition party the Devil...? Of course, sometimes someone may wear friendly uniform but repeat the words of the enemy. One must advise such an individual....

You, who oppose the Islamic Republic with the same viewpoint and sentiments as those of the Zionist regime but with a different language, and you who deal with the Islamic regime based on the same logic as that of the United States, what is the difference between you and the Zionist regime and the United States?

Then Ayatollah Khamenei set some guidelines for the June 2013 Presidential vote:

First of all, great popular participation....

Everyone must pray to God, but must also open their eyes so that the result of the election is a good choice in the interest of the revolution and the country.../Of course this does not mean that if someone does not like someone, he should be harsh with him or ill treat him....Those who consider themselves qualified….should enter the arena when appropriate, and the people should measure them....

Election is a source of pride and dignity of the country, everyone must take care that this issue does not become a source of losing pride....There were some who tried to present that election [2009 Presidential election] as the symbol of conflict, and tried to make a natural political mayhem into sedition. Of course, the Iranian nation opposed it, and whenever something similar happens, the nation will oppose it.

from EA WorldView: EA Iran

Posted via email from lissping