FM Kharrazi: Bush's comments on Iran election due to his ignorance

Islamic Republic News Agency:

IRI Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamal Kharrazi said after casting his vote at Election Headquarters here Friday, "US President George W. Bush's recent comments on Iran's 9th Presidential Election is due to his broad scale ignorance on Iran affairs." READ MORE

Kharrazi added, "While lecturing us on democracy, Bush totally ignores the presence of grass root democracy in Iran and launches a ampaign against it, which is self contradictory, and needless of response."

He said, "People's presence at this election is a sign of the Islamic Revolution's grandeur and sufficient proof that the US president's remarks regarding Iran's presidential election are quite worthless."

The IRI foreign minister said, "The Western media have always been busy with their anti-Iran campaign, with high or low intensity, but they have never ceased their destruction campaign, but the final results of this election would prove how unsuccessful they have been and how convincing a response they have got from the Iranian nation." Focussing on the significance of Iran's elections in Iran's foreign policy and its importance for foreign governments, he said, "Iran is currently playing a decisive role in the region and the Islamic Republic is a very stable political system."

In response to a question on status of election polls abroad he said, "based on the news we have received from different continents the Iranian compatriots abroad have had a broad presence at polls to elect the country's new president."

Kharrazi added, "A large number of Iranians who are performing the minor Hajj pilgrimage (Umra) in Mecca and Medina should naturally enjoy the right to take part in their country's presidential elections, but they have unfortunately been deprived of that right, due to lack of any polling stations in those two cities."

Iran's top diplomat expressed hope that despite the foreign pressure, and particularly the US negative campaign the Iranian nation would one more time prove their strong support for their political system and take part vastly in this significant national and Islamic event.

Kharrazi said, "People's presence at the polls is a good response to US President Bush's remarks."