Conservative cleric Mohsen Gharavian has indicated that
the role of president could soon come to an end in the Islamic Republic. "After
Mr. Ahmadinejad, we will witness the parliamentary system," Gharaviantold Asr-e
Iran website.
Mohsen Gharavian
He said the advantage of a parliamentary system is that
Parliament "selects the head of the executive branch of the government" and that
would make the new president directly accountable.
He added: "Right now Parliament and the president are experiencing certain
frictions and they both claim they are backed by the popular will. Therefore,
Parliament's ability to question the president is weak."
He claimed that the continued disputes between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and
Parliament have led Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to consider a
change in the political system.
Last week, Ayatollah Khamenei indicated the prospect of eliminating the role of
an elected president at some point.
His statements were supported by parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, who stated
that "the selection of the president by the elected representatives of
Parliament" would make the political system of the country "better organized."
However, moderate cleric Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, who heads Iran's
Expediency Council, has warned against eliminating the presidency, saying it
will only limit people's participation in government.
The Islamic Republic began by having a prime minister as the head of the
executive branch. The role was eliminated in 1990 and replaced with an elected
president.
