|
President says democracy brings economic development, progress |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
Tehran, July 15, IRNA -- President Mohammad Khatami said on Monday that democracy and trust between the government and people are the prerequisite for economic development and progress. In a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, President Khatami said that only a democratic society can lead to tangible development and progress. He said that a democratic society leads to multi-faceted and sustainable development and a balanced economic development is possible in the democratic society. The president said that a progressive government always bolsters reliance upon the people and takes national interest into account. "Trust between the people and government helps bring better cooperation in the transparent economic activities as well as in paying taxes," President Khatami pointed out. He said that rift between the nation and government has been Iran's historical disaster. Unfortunately, the governments which came into existence in the past 200 years in Iran had not been formed by the Iranian people themselves, so that they never heeded national interest, the president said. The former governments in Iran were used to relying on foreign states, so that the people regarded them as lackeys of foreign powers and they did not pay tax to them, President Khatami said. He said that reinforcing the democratic process in the country would help promote trust between the government and the people. "Any action to weaken democracy is contrary to the aspiration of the Islamic Revolution and the Iranian nation," the president said. "While we adhere to Islam, we should help strengthen democracy to help the people determine their own fate, he said. "The idea that Islam is not in concord with democracy is false and may harm the Islamic Republic," President Khatami said. |
||
