Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Nov. 14 Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defended President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his administration in the face of dissenting voices among various factions within the religious theocracy that the hard-line president failed to live up to his pre-election promises, the state-run ISNA news agency reported on Monday. Iran Focus
Tehran, Iran, Nov. 14 Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defended President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his administration in the face of dissenting voices among various factions within the religious theocracy that the hard-line president failed to live up to his pre-election promises, the state-run ISNA news agency reported on Monday.
Khamenei, who was speaking to a gathering of senior clerics from across the country on Sunday, said that unity and awareness among officials inside the clerical establishment were imperative, adding that they all had a duty to support Ahmadinejads initiatives.
While focusing on the common grounds and strengths of the Islamic republic, we must avoid any action or comment that would widen the divisions of the election period, Khamenei said.
The June presidential elections were marred by widespread claims of vote rigging which landed Ahmadinejad an upset victory. Irans Revolutionary Guards, which are loyal to the Supreme Leader, are believed to have played a pivotal role in securing Ahmadinejads victory.
Before any judgement is made, the President and members of his cabinet must be given the means and time to carry out their work, Khamenei said, while insisting that the country should not jump so soon to judge his administration.
He rejected media reports saying that the Iranian president had failed to deliver on his promises.
