June 16, 2017
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenehi has proclaimed that “systematic corruption” is now a thing of the past in Iran.
In a speech last week to university students, Khamenehi said there were now only rare and sporadic instances of corruption.
He said, “Systematic corruption existed in the idolatrous [monarchial] era. That system naturally generated corruption. Today, however, while instances of corruption are still uncovered and while they are bad, they are only rare oddities and not systematic. Of course, these cases should be countered.”
In the same speech, Khamenehi complained that “some good and revolutionary people” had expressed displeasure with Khamenehi’s many speeches before the election calling on everyone to vote. Many hardliners do not believe that the public should have any say in choosing the government of a religious state.
But Khamenehi compared those critics to Iran’s “enemy,” meaning the United States, which he said does not want people to be able to vote.
Khamenehi said “democracy” was one of the most important words in the language.
He said, “It would be catastrophic if the day should arrive when the people turn their backs on the ballot box. The enemy, too, is after the day when 90 percent of the people do not go to cast a ballot.”