Imam Khamenei: Expediency Discernment Council should think, act revolutionary

Reminding his guests that the sensitive and important responsibility of the Council is in discerning the "expediency of the system," Imam Khamenei added: In cases where there is an important expediency, and the council prefers the opinion of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) over the opinion of the Guardian Council, they must look after the expediency which is classified as secondary, it's extremely important to be evidence-based and clear; applied with the agreement of the assertive and acceptable majority of the council for a temporary-fixed period of time.

He went on to say: Applying expediency must be based on a long term vision and not on a daily basis; and in order to discern it, carefully, thorough and evidence-based discussions with the presence of all active members, including jurisconsults of the Guardian Council, are necessary.

Imam Khamenei called for careful and thorough investigations towards achieving the second responsibility of the Council; i.e., advising the leader on general policy making. He stated, "General policies define the structure of the country on various issues and is, thus, extremely important."

The Leader of the Revolution called distinguishing general policies on long-term and permanent issues from temporary topics necessary. He said, "Some general policies might need revising and updating, whereas, some might be outdated."

He advised the Council to be firm and assertive in making general policies and to involve scientifically evidence-based and careful discussions; further adding: Address matters in a way that the general policies will be strong and detailed--with clear and useful wording. Hence, they will not require revisions or corrections in a short amount of time afterwards.

Other factors that Imam Khamenei focused on, regarding the area of general policy making, included: clarity--making things impossible to be wrongly interpreted or paraphrased--and avoidance of intrusion in the implementation process. He referred to the usage of general policies in all the laws; policies and actions of the government, Assembly, and other governing bodies as very important. He mentioned: General policies define the overarching structure for all implementing and law-related actions in the country; so, the government, the Assembly, and all other governing bodies must conform to these general policies.

Winding-up his speech, Imam Khamenei reminded participants: The Expediency Council is a product of the Islamic Revolution, and it serves us as a reminder of Imam Khomeini. It plays an influential role in governing and managing the country. As a result, Imam Khomeini’s thoughts and the ideals of the Islamic Revolution must, fully, rule over the Expediency Discernment Council. The council should think and act upon revolutionary ideals. No measure, approach or event against Revolutionary principles and the honorable legacy of Imam Khamenei should be observed in the Council.

After praising the different qualities of Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi as the chairman of the Expediency Council, the Leader of the Revolution thanked the active members of the Council for their efforts, considering its new staff as a fresh opportunity for increased force and a cause for greater hope.

Imam Khamenei finally commemorated former leading figures of the Council--particularly, Mr Hashemi, Mr Tabassi, Mr Asgar Oladi, and Mr Habibi--adding, "Mr Hashemi Rafsanjani, as the chair of the Council for several years, performed his duties with great ability, wisdom, and knowledge.