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Washington, DC - Iran's parliamentary election is to be held on March 2, but the political future of the country will be determined before the election. At the end of this month, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will decide whether to remove Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani - one of the most powerful figures during the first two decades of the Islamic Republic, who served as parliament speaker and then as president - from the last official position he holds, and to banish him from the ruling elite of Iran.
Rafsanjani has been the chairman of the Expediency Council - the advisory arm of Iran's leadership tasked with resolving the regime's problems and the disputes between legislative branches - for three consecutive five-year terms. His term is nearing its end and media outlets close to Khamenei have predicted that he will have no chance to hold this position again.
The regular meetings between Rafsanjani and Khamenei which for many years used to take place every Tuesday evening are no longer in the schedule. The 77-year-old Rafsanjani - five years older than Khamenei - has repeatedly made it known that he is in disagreement with the leader over how the country is run. He has also held the Supreme Leader accountable for the political situation that has been ongoing in the country since the disputed 2009 presidential election and has repeatedly said the leader is the is only person who "can solve the problems that ensued [after the election]".
Khamenei's ... >>>