Assembly of Experts

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Iran
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Sharia Constitution Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Guardian Council Ahmad Jannati Majlis Gholam Haddad-Adel Judicial system of Iran Mahmoud Shahroudi Assembly of Experts Ali Meshkini Expediency Council Hashemi Rafsanjani Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani Ministry of Intelligence and Security Government of Iran City and Village Councils Political parties Elections Foreign relations
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The Assembly of Experts<ref> http://www.nezam.org/ </ref> (also Assembly of Experts for the Leadership) of Iran (Persian: مجلس خبرگان رهبری, Majles-e-Khobregan or Majles-e-Khebregan), is a congressional body of 86 Ayatollahs which selects the Supreme Leader and supervises his activities. Members of the assembly are elected by direct public vote to eight year terms. The next term (4th term) however will exceptionally last ten years due to the "election aggregation" plan of Iran in order that the government can run one simultaneous election for both Assembly of Experts and Parliament and economize in the election costs.

1 Functions
2 Members
3 References and notes
4 External links

[edit] Functions

According to the Iranian Constitution, the assembly is in charge of supervising, dismissing and electing the Supreme Leader, who is then appointed for life. However the assembly has the power to remove him at any time. The assembly gathers every six months and elects a new Supreme Leader, in the event of dismissal or death of the previous Supreme Leader.

The constitution does not have any requirements with regards to the members of the assembly, and leaves the assembly itself in charge of requirements and vetting candidates. The assembly has passed laws to require all its members be experts in Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), so they are able to judge the activities of the Supreme Leader, and making sure he does not violate Islamic rules and is complying to his duties according to the constitution.<ref>http://www.khobregan.ir/persian/ashnaee/09.htm</ref> This law is being challenged by the Reformists, and their 2006 election campaign includes changing this law to allow non-clerics into the assembly, and reversing the law that allows Guardian Council to vet candidates.<ref>http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdciryat1yazw.html</ref><ref>http://www.baztab.com/news/49011.php</ref>

The members are elected by public vote for eight-year terms. The candidates are subject to approval of the Guardian Council. Currently, the average age of its members is over 60 years, which results in many mid-term elections. The next election is due to take place December 15, 2006. [1] The meetings and the meeting notes of the assembly are confidential.