President Hassan Rouhani said candidates of all political persuasions should find the opportunity to run for the upcoming Majlis elections.
"Every legitimate group, faction or party should be allowed to perform legal activities," Rouhani was quoted by IRNA as saying, adding, "A good parliament is the one that represents all factions rather than just a particular one."
He made the remarks in an address to a gathering of interior ministry officials in Tehran on Saturday.
Rouhani rejected as delusional the idea which he believes is held by some people that factions can be eliminated, saying, "Every faction has its roots in thoughts and beliefs (of a segment of the society)."
He stressed that the government as the organizer of the next parliamentary election, scheduled for February 26, 2016, will remain totally impartial by adopting an approach beyond factional or partisan considerations, vowing that his administration will strive by all means to ensure a "free, fair and highly competitive election."
He highlighted the "heavy" responsibility of the Guardian Council and other bodies in charge of vetting candidates and supervising elections, saying, "The competency of candidates is approved or rejected according to the law and … legal standards."
Elsewhere, Rouhani called on officials responsible for running the election not to give in to any threat by any faction or current or to act under the influence of their own tendencies and preferences.
On the negotiations under way between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) to resolve a 12-year dispute over Tehran's nuclear program, he said the settlement of the nuclear issue "is to the benefit of not only the Iranian nation but also other regional nations."
"The nuclear issue is not an issue of this or that faction," Rouhani noted, adding, "It is rather a national matter which is the responsibility of the (whole) establishment."
"It is the establishment which is taking the steps" in the nuclear talks.
