By Kazem Gharib Abadi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to The Hague.
Iranians at home and abroad participated in the eleventh presidential election in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was held on Friday, 14 June 2013, and recorded an epic turnout in determining their own destiny. The election was held after massive election campaigns and heated presidential debates exposed Iranians to various ideas and different opinions from diverse political currents and figures which as a result Dr. Rohani was elected as the new president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The people of Iran, in light of Islamic-style democracy, rushed in utmost peace and security to ballot boxes exhibiting their political spirit and awareness in such a national event, and once again manifested their will and decisiveness to protect and defend their Islamic Revolution and the sacred Islamic establishment in Iran. Massive participation of %72.2 of Iranian nation in the election has once again indicated the strong links between the state and nation.
As a matter of fact, the Islamic Republic of Iran, in view of the most recent presidential election, displayed yet another successful independent political pattern based on their combined religious and national identity with modern political and democratic mechanisms—a pattern which has resulted in stability, peace, public welfare and accountable governance in Iran.
The result of the election which was unexpected for some outside analysts and politicians who had insisted that the Islamic Republic would engineer the elections has proved that the right of the people to select their own choices is always respected and guaranteed by the religious democracy in the country.
By participating in this election the peace-loving people of Iran expressed, with enthusiasm, their interest in developing friendship, cooperation and dialogue with civilized nations and states across the world. The hope that respect to shared human values and interests in view of a high spirit for cooperation would lead to the formation of a world without threats and intimidation and full of welfare, and spiritual and material perfection.
As it was declared, Iran’s newly elected president will follow a “path of wisdom and hope, justice and enhancing mutual trust between Iran and other countries on the basis of mutual respect.” The real message of the president elect to the international community is that we have common interests, joint goals to promote peace, security and tranquility in the region and the world.
