Ruminations

"Tasliyat." The recent election of a known scoundrel to the leadership post of an important decision-making council in Iran's body-politic amounts to nothing short of a national tragedy, and a reconfirmation of repeated observations and experiences over 28 years establishing either the inability or unwillingness of Iran's "rohaniyat" (as evidenced in the outcome of their vote in this very same election) to properly address the challenges and needs facing the Iranian nation. The silver lining to this national tragedy and the opportunity to reverse this history of mistakes and incompetence, may lie, however, in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Iran's citizenry to seek or call for an honest referendum to implement certain significant changes in the country's Constitution. Those Constitutional changes should address at least the following issues, and should become effective immediately upon passage of the referendum: (1) instead of having real and effective power vested in the "rohaniyat" and their institutions (i.e. Majlis Khobregan, Shorayeh Negahban, Shorayeh Tashkhis Maslahat Nezam, Rahbari, etc.), with only symbolic power vested in the "mardomiyat" and its institutions (Majlis Shura, Presidency); the new Constitution should vest real and effective power in the "mardomiyat", while granting only symbolic power to the "rohaniyat" and its institutions. (2) Under any circumstances, to avoid the concentration of excessive power in the hands of any one individual, forbid any elected or unelected official from holding more than one key post "poste kelidi" at any one time. (3) Require a mandatory retirement age of 70 years of age maximum, for any individual in any elected or unelected public position.