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HONOLULU, Hawaii, U.S., Sep 14, 2010 (IPS) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's confrontational approach towards the Iranian parliament could turn into a wider systemic crisis and is provoking appeals for a much more resolute intervention by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

But Khamenei's attempts to defuse the conflict by asking both sides to set aside differences and show unity in the face of external pressure and enemies have so far proven ineffective. 

As a result, the conflicts between the parliament, or Majles, and Ahmadinejad's government are much deeper than ever, challenging other major institutions of the Islamic Republic, as well as the constitutionally approved processes for resolving conflicts among them. 

Ahmadinejad's challenge to parliament has taken several forms, beginning with his refusal to implement recent legislation on the grounds that the process by which it was passed violated the constitution. 

Iran's legislative process is indeed byzantine, but Ahmadinejad's constitutional objection appears to be unfounded. As amended in 1989, the Islamic Republic's constitution is clear that the Majles is the source of all legislation. The Guardian Council, in turn, decides whether all elements of the legislation passed are both constitutional and Islamic.