Leader: Youths capable of energizing country’s management

Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has hailed the Iranian youth as the “bright future of the nation”, and said they are highly capable of playing the main role in energizing the governance of the Islamic Republic and foiling the enemy’s soft conspiracies.

On Wednesday evening, during the audience he granted to a group of university students and representatives of student associations, as part of the “Iftar” (fasting-breaking) gatherings of the blessed month of Ramadhan, the Leader said: “Young people are not necessarily those between the age group of 22 to 25; but even people in their thirties and at times early forties, could also be considered in this category, and they can make a huge difference in the country's governing system.”

He called on the young generation to launch “movement of the upright” for the progress of the nation, saying: “Prepare the grounds for formation of a young and pious government. We expect you, the university students, to be self-organized and self-motivated, like when we acted with self-motivation during the tyrannical rule of Pahlavis.”

He added: “At that time, no one was leading us; at times a new announcement reached us from Imam Khomeini (who was in holy Najaf, Iraq), which motivated us.”

Ayatollah Khamenei when asked by a student whether the country’s problems are a result of mismanagement or the structure of the government, replied: The structure of the constitution is a good one. Of course, structures can be improved and modified in order to remove shortcomings. For instance, once we did not have the Expediency Council but today we have it. Thus, the structure is not faulty, however, it needs modifications, since at times mistakes of the executives create a big gap in society.”

Asked about privatization of the economy, he said: “Of course, there have been grave mistakes in privatization and I have notified the officials about them, but principle of privatization is an essential necessity of the economy, and needs proper implementation through modification.

The Leader, when asked by a student on reports of his ratification of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action) on Iran’s nuclear rights, told the audience that the Leader does not intervene in executive affairs unless there is a great risk to the system. Accordingly, he did not approve of the trend of talks but allowed for the negotiations; “but the way the JCPOA was handled, I did not really believe in it, and mentioned this to the president and the foreign minister and had warned them several times (of the negative consequences).”

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to his expression last March of the start of the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution in February, saying he made 4 essential points to be heeded by the youth, which are “greatness of the revolution and its persistence; the importance of the work done and the revolution's functions so far; the future of the revolution; and the significance of the role young and committed forces can play.”

He added: “For achieving brighter future for Iran, we need a public movement of the committed youth dedicated to the revolution, in order to overcome the many obstacles, which the young generation surely can.”

AS/SS