An octogenarian conservative cleric was elected on Tuesday to lead the Islamic republic’s Assembly of Experts, which can choose and dismiss the supreme leader.
The new chairman of the Assembly of Experts, Mohammad Yazdi, 83, is a former head of the judiciary, and he is known for his hard-line views and for being deeply opposed to any relaxation of social rules.
He received 47 votes in favor among the 73 clerics who attended the session of the 86-member assembly, state news media reported.
The only other contender was a former president, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is a proponent of change. He got 24 votes.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 75, underwent surgery on his prostate last year, raising issues about his health and longevity. The Assembly of Experts, in theory, can dismiss him. In case of the ayatollah’s death or incapacity, the assembly would be in charge of electing a new leader.
