[National Interest] Hossein Askari - In Iran's midterm elections last week there appears to be a potential tectonic shift in a real center of power - the Assembly of Experts and, by association, the selection of the next Supreme Leader and in turn the Guardian Council. In Tehran, former President Rafsanjani drew the most votes for the assembly. If Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cannot carry out his duties, Rafsanjani, as the behind-the-scenes confidant and friend of the Supreme Leader and the big vote getter from Tehran, is now in the catbird's seat to be the next Supreme Leader. In the meantime, Rafsanjani has been bolstered by his support in the assembly, whereas Ahmadinejad's spiritual mentor, Mahmoud Taghi Mesbah-Zadeh, was trounced but still managed to secure a seat. The writer is Iran professor of International Business and International Affairs at George Washington University.
2006-12-22 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive