IRANIAN LEADERS MAY REMOVE SUPREME RELIGIOUS LEADER

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.06.2009 16:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian leadership considers possibility of replacing
the country’s Supreme Religious Leader Ali Khamenei, NEWSru Israel
quotes Al-Arabiya TV channel as saying. A key figure in such situation
is former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who is considered
a politician with moderate views. Rafsanjani simultaneously heads two
influential bodies, Expediency Discernment Council, an intermediary
body between Parliament and Guardian Council, and Assembly of
Experts. The latter is authorized to replace the country’s Supreme
Religious Leader.

Al-Arabiya TV Channel’s Web site quotes a highly reputable source (one
of the sacred towns of Shias) as saying that Rafsanjani, the Expert
Assembly and Guardians Council have agreed on removing Khamenei from
power. In the meantime, they have no intention to appoint a successor,
at least for the time being. Instead, it is planned to establish a
joint supreme government.

Rafsanjani probably enlisted the support of Ayatollah Al-Sistani,
one of the most influential Shiah leaders. Khamenei’s removal will
be inevitably followed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s resignation.

Rafsanjani has not made public statement after elections in which
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared as official winner. In a conflict
with the country’s President a day before elections, Rafsanjani
accused him of corruption and demanded Khamenei’s intervention, but
the latter was restricted by Ahmadinejad’s languid criticism. Faeze
Rafsanjani, the elder daughter of Expert Assembly’s Head, participates
in demonstrations held by Mir Hossein’s co-thinkers. One Saturday,
she and four other relatives of Rafsanjanis were arrested during one
of demonstrations in Tehran. Yesterday evening, they were released.