TEHRAN – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi pointed out the inclusivity of the elections held on March 1, saying both citizens and candidates see it as their duty to take part in national votes.

“Everyone is acting on duty. It doesn’t matter if our favorite candidates do not get elected. What matters is that we have shown our unity and cohesion as a great country,” Raisi said while casting his own vote at a polling station in Iran’s interior ministry. 

“Our country functions on people’s votes. Citizens get to partake in their nation’s governance by choosing whom they want to see in office. All bodies operate with people’s guidance,” the president added. 

Raisi also called on authorities to respect people’s choices and try their absolute best not to disappoint Iranians. 

Also talking to reporters on Friday, Raisi’s spokesperson Ali Bahoderi Jahromi thanked Iranians for thwarting the enemy’s vicious plots. “They have been trying to discourage us from showing up at the ballot box day and night. But as you witnessed today, nothing will sway the Iranian nation,” he said.