Tehran, YJC. Culture Minister says that any media intending to harm elections will be met with legal action.
Mohammda Hosseini said in a meeting with officials from cultural
organizations on Sunday "We have held meetings with our friends in media and
harbingers of the breakthrough, stressing positive actions, but we must also
point out negative actions.”
The Minister of Culture said that if press are to publish material that
will discourage participation in the elections they must be prevented, adding "We
held meetings with cultural general directors across country who will try to
attract public interest in the elections.”
He pointed out that the enemy is hard at work to discourage the nation
from voting. He said "The enemy use different tools to inculcate a sense of
gloom in society. Der Spiegel has said that the Iranian election is a hollow
show. Others say that the outcome is determined beforehand. They want to
challenge people’s breakthrough. Therefore we must tap all the country’s
capacities to encourage people to take active part in the elections.”
Hosseini added that there are some domestic media that help doubts grow
which must be fought, regardless of the entity they belong to. "We will take
legal action against such newspapers, be it Keyhan, Iran, Bahar, or Sharq,” he
asserted "we will do so no matter whom it belongs to, because the country’s
interests are sensitive and we will not follow individuals’ tastes on this.”
He then revoked allegations that there is no difference between
candidates, saying that representatives from both Principalist and Reformist
wings are present among candidates.
He said "Who is there closer to Khatami than Aref who used to be his
First Vice President and in fact stands above other members of the Khatami
circle?”