The Endorsement Ceremony for the 13th President of the Islamic Republic of Iran was held in Imam Khomeini’s Hussainiyah on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, in the presence of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and a number of the country’s officials. The President-elect was appointed the President of Iran by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
According to Supreme Leader’s official website Khamenei.ir, in this ceremony, the Minister of Interior Affairs presented a report on the procedures involved in conducting the elections this year, 1400 AHS (2021 AD). The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also delivered a speech after the text of the endorsement decree had been read out and after Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Raisi, the President-elect, gave his speech.
At the beginning of his statements, Imam Khamenei stated, “I ask God, the Exalted, to render this beginning a blessed occasion for the people and the country, particularly on these days which are characterized by the remembrance of the Prophet’s Household.”
While thanking God for having helped the Iranian nation succeed in these significant elections, which is a sign of religious democracy, His Eminence said, “This (endorsement) ceremony, which is based on the Constitution and the custom established by our magnanimous Imam (Khomeini), has been held a number of times.”
In speaking of the transfer of power in Iran, the former President of Iran during the time of Imam Khomeini explained, “In other countries, this transfer of power is normally carried out accompanied by conflicts. But in our country, praise God, it is carried out in a calm, safe manner. This was the case in this election too by God’s grace. This is both a sign of the rationality, peace and tranquility that exists among the people and the officials and a sign of political diversity. The administrations that have held office up until today have had various political orientations. Naturally this diversity is a sign of electoral freedom and healthy elections.”
He described the transfer of power in the country as being a place of hope and stressed, “In a transfer of power, new ideas and new resolve enter the field, and this is a source of hope for all those who are highly motivated to serve the country, in particular the youth.”
Imam Khamenei referred to the plot to boycott the elections, saying, “A plot had been devised by the political think tanks of the enemies to bring about a boycott on the elections. Inside the country too, some people pursued this idea out of ignorance or perhaps with some ulterior motives. But the people responded firmly by participating in the elections, and the turnout was good. Considering the circumstances that existed at that time, participation was good and it showed the people’s presence on the scene.”
Referring to President Raisi’s statements and his frequent insistence on revolutionary values such as justice and fighting corruption, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated that this insistence is being made on the right path and he advised the President to continue this path. His Eminence described the President-elect’s slogan as being a popular slogan, and asked him to not abandon it. He also advised him to be with the people, to stand by the people’s side in the true sense of the word, and to always speak with them with sincerity.”
At the end, Imam Khamenei spoke of the enemy’s propaganda war and said, “Today, most of the enemy’s moves against are carried out using soft warfare and the media. They spend a great deal in order to dominate public opinion in our country. They hire many intellectuals in order to be able to dominate and control public opinion in countries, especially in our country. When public opinion in a country is controlled by foreigners, the affairs of that country will be shaped according to their whims. Therefore, we must be stronger and wiser in the field of propagation.
Earlier during the ceremony, Ayatollah Khamenei endorsed the decree of Ebrahim Raisi as the next President of Iran.
Based on article 110 of the Iranian constitution, the endorsement of the presidents’ decrees is among Supreme Leader duties.
The Late Founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini confirmed three presidents and Ayatollah Khamenei has confirmed four others so far. Raisi is the fourth president-elect, who is being confirmed by the Supreme Leader. The Leader himself was the last president, who was confirmed by late Imam Khomeini as president.
The various confirmations of presidents are proof of the fact that the Islamic Republic is based on Islamic laws and the votes of the people. In all confirmation texts recited by Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei, the expression of “confirming people’s vote” comes before “appointment as President.”
Prior to the endorsement ceremony Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli presented a report of the process of holding the 13th presidential elections.
The new President Raisi is scheduled to be sworn in on Thursday, August 5, 2021, when he is expected to present his cabinet members.
On Friday, June 18, the 13th presidential election was held nationwide simultaneous with the sixth round of city and village councils elections, the first mid-term for the 11th parliament’s by-election, and the second mid-term for the fifth Assembly of Experts election.
Out of over 59.3 million eligible voters, nearly 29 million took part in the national event of the presidential election. Ebrahim Raisi won the presidential race with 17,926,345 votes out of the total 28,933,004 ballots, which shows a 48.8 percent turnout.
Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, seven presidents took power in 12 rounds as heads of state of the Islamic Republic of Iran.