Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani says it is up to loyalists to the Islamic Revolution to prepare the ground for a high turnout in the upcoming elections.
The chairman of the Expediency Council made the remark in a meeting with members of the pro-reform Union of Islamic Iran People Party in Tehran on Monday, where the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts votes scheduled for Feb. 26, 2016 came up as the main topics.
Stressing the importance of the elections, the former president said, "All authorities, from the Leader to city councilors are elected by the people's vote, directly or indirectly."
"At this point, all of those who care about the revolution should join hands to create a political epic in the February elections."
Describing the role of female voters in election campaigns as decisive, he said Iranian women have demonstrated their talent and have the chance to move up to top positions by running in elections.
The senior cleric noted that helping establish sound political parties is a crucial step toward achieving the goals of the revolution.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, extremists have always been a major hindrance to establishment of effective political parties, he said.
He noted that although opponents continue to create obstacles, there is a huge capacity for setting up powerful political parties and fronts, as the Constitution and veteran authorities of the system advocate the aspiration.
In addition, Ayatollah Rafsanjani said, "If political parties are meant to help accomplish the revolution's aims and serve the people, promoting national and religious interests should drive their campaigns, so they should never see themselves as losers of the elections [even if they fail]."
