Pres. Rouhani: Parliament symbol of Islamic, religious democracy in country

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iran's President described the Islamic Consultative Assembly a symbol of Islamic and religious democracy in the country and emphasised, "The term of office of the government and the Majlis is four years and short, but with cooperation we can leave a lasting memory for decades and even centuries for the people”.

Speaking on Wednesday at the inauguration ceremony of the 11th term of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Dr Hassan Rouhani said, "All thoughts must be directed towards national interests, national security, national interests and national identity, and the public interests must be preferred over partisan, factional and constituency interests”.

Emphasising that the Islamic Consultative Assembly is the home of the nation, the President said, "Our basis for cooperation is the framework that the constitution has drawn and we believe that the parliament and each of its member are responsible towards the entire Iranian people".

Dr Rouhani added, "Preferring national interests over partisan and factional interests will be the basis for the cooperation of the government and parliament".

Parts of President Hassan Rouhani’s speech is as follows:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

I would like to offer my congratulations to all the esteemed representatives and the great Iranian nation on the beginning of the 11th Majlis.

Parliament and Majlis around the world are important symbols of democracy, and in Islamic Iran, the Islamic Consultative Assembly is a symbol of Islamic and religious democracy.

In the Islamic Consultative Assembly, from the beginning, great people have sit on these seats and performed their duties. From martyr Ayatollah Modarres to the Supreme Leader, the late Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and great martyrs like Raja'i, Bahonar and Chamran sat in the same seats in the first parliament and performed important legislative duties.

The term of office of the government and the Majlis is four years and short, but with cooperation we can leave a lasting memory for decades and even centuries for the people.

Different parliaments have come and gone, governments have come and gone, but you can see that the country's civil law is the strongest law for decades and more than a century, which is still an honour for Iran and the Iranian legislature.

The government and the parliament can cooperate in many areas, but the best cooperation is a good bill from the government and review and approval by the Islamic Consultative Assembly. God willing, I hope we can work together in the remaining year of this government and the beginning of this parliament.

Our basis for cooperation is the framework that the constitution has drawn and we believe that the parliament and each of its member are responsible towards the entire Iranian people.

All thoughts must be directed towards national interests, national security, national interests and national identity, and the public interests must be preferred over partisan, factional and constituency interests.

Undoubtedly, the parliament is neither the parliament of constituencies, nor the parliament of ethnic groups, nor the parliament of factions, nor the parliament of difference. The Islamic Consultative Assembly is the home of the nation and belongs to the Iranian nation.

Preferring national interests over partisan and factional interests will be the basis for the cooperation of the government and parliament.

Here, in a very brief and concise manner, I would like to talk to the esteemed members of the 11th Majlis that the 11th and 12th Governments are divided into two periods, 5 years and 3 years. In the first five years, the basis of government’s work was progress, and thank God, in all areas in the early years, we saw both openings in important political, social, economic and cultural affairs, and progress.

The fact that Iran is on the list of successful countries in the fight against the dangerous coronavirus is because of the strengthened healthcare foundations in the 11th government.

The country's medical capability, from hospital beds to equipment, has doubled compared to that of Iran's history before 2013, and it is a great honour for the Iranian nation and authorities.

..........................................
End/ 257