Mesbah Yazdi’s Plan for the Experts Assembly on Leadership

Morteza Mohseni, Rooz Online: Special Rooz Report

Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, the ultra conservative cleric who has been the supporting voice for president Ahmadinejad with whose help he was catapulted to the presidency, has cancelled his regular teaching schedule in Qom’s Theological Seminary and launched special classes for his disciples to prepare them to run for the upcoming elections to the State Experts Council for Leadership that reviews the work of the Leader and confirms his position or elects a new one.

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In another related report, the Imam Khomeini Education Institute, under the management of Mesbah Yazdi too has embarked on a program to train clerics for the Experts Assembly. Parviz Dawoodi, the first deputy of the president who is also among the leading members of the Institute has started a new course on economics for Mesbah Yazdi’s students, while Mohammad Niazi the head of the State Inspectorate organization and former head of the military’s courts has started a law course for the students. Observers believe the same method and approach that was used to launch a hardline and conservative individual for the last presidential elections and get him into the office is being used for the forthcoming Experts Assembly elections.

Ali Rabii, former president Khatami’s security chief concluded in his investigation of the ninth presidential election that was widely recognized to be rigged, that there was no accurate or sufficient information regarding the events that led to a change of heart of the conservative leaders in their presidential candidate from Ghalibaf and Ali Larijani to Ahmadinejad, who won the elections by a landslide. Since the steps that successfully catapulted their candidate into office have remained secret, political observers believe the same tactics will be used by the conservatives and hardliners to outmaneuver their competitors in getting their candidates into the Experts Assembly.

It is noteworthy that Hassan Abbasi, the director of Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Doctrine Center recently said, “the ninth government is a base for launching the Islamic Administration,” which is a call by those who believe the institutions of the Islamic Republic such as the Majlis (Iran's Parliament) are contradictory to Islamic government which is completely centered around Velayate Faghih and total obedience to him. Abbasi is a known figure advocating Mesbah Yazdi’s philosophy and political views in the armed forces. His words also indicate the transient nature of Ahmadinejad in the large plans of the conservatives.