00:00Luc André for the French newspaper Opinion.
00:02You evoke the option of a constitutional monarchy as an option.
00:07How can it be a realistic option if you don't acknowledge what went wrong with the previous monarchy?
00:12Thank you.
00:13Aren't we talking about the future?
00:15Yes.
00:16So why are you talking about the past?
00:18Maybe it makes a difference for people that maybe continue these options.
00:22We're talking about the future.
00:23And the Iranian people are smart enough to understand that in any democratic exercise, elimination of options is not the
00:31way to go.
00:33Democracy is not about exclusion.
00:34It's about inclusion.
00:36Unless you are not in conformity with democratic principles.
00:40So as long as you are coherent with democratic principles, there are multiple options on the table.
00:46Why should we eliminate one option all of a sudden?
00:49Because if you want to go by precedents, there may be many bad monarchies as there are many bad republics.
00:55And there are also good models of republics and good models of constitutional monarchies.
00:59Are they not?
01:01So if you want to compare apples to apples, great.
01:03And oranges to oranges, great.
01:05But we're not here to compare apples to oranges.
01:07You said your compatriots have called on you to lead this transition period.
01:14But that's obviously not the case.
01:16There are a lot of people who don't support you within Iran and outside Iran.
01:21My question is, why have you not been able to unify these people?
01:28Why is it that you're not the voice of all of the Iranian people?
01:34Why is it that Western countries are not supporting you or endorsing you as the voice of the Iranian opposition?
01:44Thank you very much.
01:45Well, this is a very typical question I expect from the network that you represent.
01:51Look, you say it's not true.
01:54You tell me, have you heard any other names called in Iran other than mine?
01:59There have been other people who have not called your name.
02:03You ask the question I'm answering now.
02:06Sure, please do.
02:06The fact is, they called my name.
02:09Is my name written on the walls there?
02:12It is me that they chose to trust to lead this movement.
02:16I'm not saying that I have 100% of people on my side.
02:19Of course, I have my enemies.
02:20And there are obviously elements that do not adhere to those four core principles.
02:25You might have separatists.
02:27You might have pro-regime reformists.
02:29You might have groups like the MEK.
02:31Certainly, they are not my friends.
02:34And I do not represent them.
02:35Of course, I don't represent them because they are not adhering to the principles that I described.
02:40But all those who are prescribed to the first principle, we are together.
02:45And among them, you will find a quite diverse number of people.
02:48We have Republicans as we have monarchists.
02:51We have people on the left, on the center, on the right.
02:54We have athletes.
02:55We have artists.
02:56We have representatives of ethnic communities, religious minorities.
03:00Many of them were, in fact, in this very city in Munich when we had the last gathering a few
03:04months ago.
03:05And you will see a lot of them present, in fact, today in the demonstrations that are set for Munich
03:13that will be speaking to the crowd.
03:15And there will be, in fact, quite a diverse array of people.
03:18If you want proof, go and check it out.
03:21And you will see that, unlike your premise, in fact, it is quite diversified.
03:25And a lot of people are supporting, and they are supporting my leadership.
03:28Many of them understand that I am a bridge to that destination.
03:31They support me today, even though tomorrow they may vote for their preferred system of government.
03:36And I'm not here to advocate for monarchy or a republic.
03:40As a matter of fact, I told them, as an honest broker, I'm remaining above the fray.
03:45My position is neutral towards the outcome.
03:49Let the Iranian people, by the ballot box, determine their majority wish for the ultimate system they want to have.
03:55And if we all respect the democratic process, we should also respect the ballot box and the result of that
04:02free election.
04:03That's all I'm asking for.
04:04Not just the Iranian people, but for the international community, particularly democratic society, to value.
04:10Because this is something that they have in their own countries.
04:13That's exactly what we want to have in our own country as well.
04:16And the Western countries?
04:18That's what I said.
04:19Free democracies, first and foremost.
04:21Why are they endorsed you?
04:23Because I'm not asking for an endorsement.
04:26I'm not asking for a personal endorsement.
04:28I'm asking them to support the Iranian people and back them on their right to determine their own future.
04:35As opposed to say, we are still going to side with the regime and try to appease it,
04:40which has never given the people an actual chance for true and meaningful elections.
04:46Because there's no such thing in Iran as free elections or the ballot box.
04:50It's a mockery of democracy.
04:53It's shameful to pretend that there's actual elections in Iran.
04:56Nobody, they will laugh at you if you were to suggest that to any Iranians inside Iran.
05:01Some people in the outside world may be fooled.
05:03But, you know, you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
05:06At some point, it's going to blow in their face.
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