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| Cleric's death leaves void in institution that has the authority to elect or dismiss the Iran's's supreme leader. |
| 2014-10-22 |
| The head of Iran's top clerical institution has died, leaving a gap in the only body that has the authority to elect and dismiss the country's supreme leader. The death of 83-year-old Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, reported by Iranian media, is unlikely to spark any direct policy change or jockeying for power, officials and analysts said. But with the health of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also under scrutiny, any changes in the body that will choose his successor are sensitive and closely watched. Under Iran's constitution, in case of the death, resignation, or dismissal of the leader, the Assembly of Experts has to take steps "within the shortest possible time for the appointment of the new leader". Created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the assembly has never exercised its right to dismiss a leader, but it has turned into a potential arena for competition between rival factions in Iran's complex power structure. |
| Posted by:Pappy |