Demands of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic from the Representatives of the Tenth Parliament

Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, met with the representatives of the Tenth Parliament on Sunday, outlining the priorities for the Parliament in various fields. He stated that the Parliament must be revolutionary, respond to the 'hostile and malicious' positions of the United States, and stand against imperialist policies. Khamenei praised the performance of what he called the 'good' Ninth Parliament in this regard and urged the representatives to maintain a clear stance against political opposition movements against the Islamic Revolution. Reza Alijani, a political activist and analyst in France, told Radio Farda that Khamenei's statements reflect his concerns about the internal political situation of the country. Khamenei also referred to the nuclear negotiations, stating, 'The Americans, including the government, Congress, and future presidential candidates, constantly demand more and threaten, and their positions and threats at this stage are similar to the pre-agreement period, and we must not remain silent in the face of these audacities.' On the same day, prior to the meeting with Khamenei, the Islamic Consultative Assembly held a public session. At the beginning of the Sunday session, some representatives raised points to the Parliament's presiding board, including one representative who deemed the agenda and reports from the Research Center and the Trade Union illegal due to the lack of pre-scheduled speeches. However, the Speaker of the Parliament dismissed this point, stating that it was not possible as representatives had to meet Khamenei. Mostafa Kaveh Kabi, one of the representatives who had initially nominated himself for the Parliament presidency but later withdrew, protested the announcement of his votes by state television, saying the Parliament should have declared these votes as blank. During the continuation of the Sunday session, Mohammad Ghasemi, the Deputy of the Parliament's Research Center, presented a report on financial indiscipline from 2004 to 2013, a period that includes eight years of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency. He noted that the country's economic growth rate compared to the resources spent and in comparison with other countries over the past decade is not significant, and even four to five percent growth has not led to job creation. Ghasemi identified financial indiscipline and the targeted subsidy law as one of the main factors contributing to the government's financial turmoil.