Tehran 19 February _President Hassan Rouhani says a lively and inclusive popular turnout in Iran’s upcoming parliamentary elections will enrage the US, stressing the role of the legislative chamber in government efforts to foil Washington’s sanctions against the Iranian nation.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club(YJC)-Iran can triumph over the US by resorting to perseverance and its strength, Rouhani told a government meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.
“People’s participation on the Election Day, and [their] vibrant queues will upset and enrage the US. [On the other hand,] people’s non-participation will delight the US,” he added.
Iran is to hold the elections on February 21 to appoint lawmakers to its 11th Majlis (Parliament) since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
More than 7,000 candidates are to vie in the polls for 290 seats, including five candidates, who represent Iran’s religious minorities.
Rouhani called Majlis a significant apparatus given its impact on the country’s fate as it passes laws that could last for up to decades, despite undergoing minor changes.
This year’s elections bear added significance in light of the fact that the country has come under intense sanctions and pressure by the world’s arrogant powers, the president stated.
Decent popular presence on the electoral stage would, therefore, reflect the country’s stance against these powers, he added.
Rouhani called the sanctions “a terrorist American action” against the Iranian people. He said the ruling US officials, who are trying to put Iran under pressure, “bore malice towards the country in the past too” and were given support by the Israeli regime and the region’s reactionary states.