TEHRAN – A member of the Combatant Cleric Society has advised the presidential candidates not to sacrifice national interests for political or factional purposes and avoid trading insults or giving hollow promises.

“The candidates of the elections should know that they have entered the scene to serve the country and therefore there is no need for clash and mudslinging,” Seyyed Reza Akrami said, IRNA reported on Monday.

Akrami said only three days are left to the election day and the scope of campaigns has intensified in these days and certain candidates in addition to presenting plans are making allegations against the government and each other.

This is taking place despite the fact that the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a recent speech to parliamentarians urged the candidates to avoid turning elections into a “scene of power struggle and insulting behaviors” like what happens in the U.S. and certain European countries, the soft-spoken cleric remarked.

Akrami said the Leader warned that whenever in the past such damaging approaches were adopted in the presidential debates or the candidates tried to frighten the people from the competitor “the country suffered”.

He also said the Leader insisted that the presidential candidates should avoid giving “unrealistic and deceitful slogans” and that they should make promises based on the “realities”. 

PA/PA