The great Imam advised the public to actively exercise their right to vote in referendum and upcoming parliamentary elections in order to form a competent system in accordance with Islamic lines and people desires.
Imam also used to advise public to select and choose parliamentarians and representatives who were competent to solve the problems.
The founder of the Islamic Republic founded a system which aimed at confronting colonial influence and fighting poverty, illiteracy and inequality.
The basic slogans and mottos of the Islamic Revolution were to gain real freedom and independence. Imam asked the Iranian elites and masses to form strong constitutional and institutional bases to preserve these values and people rights.
The Islamic-democratic system founded under the wise leadership of Imam relieved Iran from colonial dominance and brought a great amount of independence.
The Islamic system also strengthened the Muslim and oppressed nations around the world.
Imam’s dynamic thought and concretes steps towards gaining independence will always be remembered by future generations for several coming decades
We see necessary to bring one of messages by the great Imam in this regard as following:
Speech
Date: March 30, 1979 [Farvardin 10, 1358 AHS/ Jamadi al-Awwal 1, 1399 AH [
Place: Qum
Subject: Voting for Islamic republic
Occasion: At the threshold of holding the Islamic republic referendum
Audience: Various groups of people
] In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful [
Freedom and independence, the gifts of the Islamic Republic
Today, I went to a place where the martyrs of Qum had dedicated their lives for the sake of Islam and the Islamic republic. In order to encourage the Iranian nation, I cast my vote for the Islamic republic. I hope that the entire Islamic community and the Iranian nation will be successful. And, I hope that our nation will vote for the Islamic republic. The Islamic republic will bring us gifts of a free destiny, fortune and independence. The enemies of Islam want to sabotage the affairs and our nation must be preserved and give their votes to the Islamic republic.
Of course, after this stage, we are going to have another stage and that is to set up the Constituents Assembly that will ratify the new constitution; subsequent to this, elections will follow and people will send their representatives to the Parliament. These stages will constitute the ultimate stages of the movement. Afterwards, Iran's reconstruction will begin concurrent with the emergence of Islamic laws in all aspects of life in the country. This is what we wish for and I hope that with the support of the whole nation, we will have our wish materialized. Before anything else, I request the nation to cast their votes today and tomorrow in favor of the Islamic republic. Their prosperity lies in this vote. The people would cast their votes in the ballot boxes and must be on guard lest saboteurs succeed in their destructive measures.
Freedom in voting
However, if something happens that not everyone is able to cast his vote, that is, if the number of voters is so great that there will be difficulty for all the people to get a chance to vote, the government will announce an extension of one day, so that everyone may cast his vote. The entire nation must go to the polling precincts and are free to write whatever name they wish to write and cast their ballots. If, in case, they want to vote" no", they
are free to do so and select the kind of government that they want and write it on the ballot. However, I recommend that people obey God's command and try to vote for Islamic republic. May God make you all prosperous and grant our nation independence, freedom and welfare.
Sahifeh, vol6, Page: 400