Consequences of the Appointment of Sadegh Larijani; The Expediency Council is at the 'Top of the System'

Sadegh Larijani has been appointed by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic as the new head of the Expediency Council. What is the message of this appointment? Among the many major projects in the country - whether we consider them right or wrong - it can be said that the 'tassel document' of two institutions is exclusively tied to the name of Hashemi Rafsanjani: the Islamic Azad University and the Expediency Council. It is no longer hidden from anyone that with the death of Rafsanjani [read: his removal], the project of 'Hashemi-ization' began throughout the system. A brief description of the Hashemi-ization in the Islamic Azad University is that his daughters, Faezah and Fatemeh Hashemi, have been banned from continuing to teach at this university. However, in the Expediency Council, now with the death of Hashemi Shahroudi - who was neither too distant from Rafsanjani nor too close to him - the presidency of this legislative body has been handed over to Sadegh Larijani. It should not be forgotten that during his presidency over the judiciary, prison sentences were issued for Mehdi Hashemi and Faezah Hashemi. What will such a person do with Rafsanjani's 'pragmatic legislative legacy'? Our judgment about Rafsanjani, whether good or bad, is that he had a pragmatic personality, which is hardly doubted. It was this personality that proposed the establishment of an institution called 'Expediency' to Ayatollah Khomeini and himself, during his presidency, often considered expediency even above the principles of jurisprudence and subsequently created openings in the system's rigid laws. However, according to the ten years of Sadegh Larijani's strict presidency over the judiciary, which was neither innovative nor compassionate, the question is which 'expediency' will he consider and implement in the legislative deadlock between the Parliament and the Guardian Council? The Expediency Council is at the 'Top of the System'. It has been said that the first message of Sadegh Larijani's appointment as head of the Expediency Council is the completion of the Hashemi-ization project. However, more importantly - much more importantly - is the clarification of the 'railway laying' for a project that will change the identity of the 'Islamic Republic' to 'Islamic Government'. Until now, based on the principles of republic, referring to votes, even if formal, and holding symbolic elections is part of the functioning of the Islamic Republic system. Let us not forget that Ayatollah Khamenei had previously expressed his agreement to change the current 'presidential' system to a 'parliamentary presidency'. In October 2011, in strange statements that were considered to erase the legacy of his predecessor, he said: 'In the current political system of the country, it is presidential, and the president is elected directly by the people, which is a good and effective method, but if one day in the future, possibly far away, it is felt that a parliamentary system is better for electing executive officials, there is no problem in changing the current mechanism.' Apparently, that 'distant future' is now approaching. In a parliamentary presidential system, instead of referring directly to the people's votes to elect the executive president, the parliament chooses the president. With this method, the fever and turmoil that grips the society every four years - like in 2009 - for presidential elections is set aside. If 'expediency' regarding such an option, meaning the election of the executive president through parliament, is to be entrusted to the Expediency Council under the presidency of Sadegh Larijani, what do you think the outcome will be? Do you see any regard for republic in Sadegh Larijani's personality? Sadegh Larijani; Hojjatoleslam or Ayatollah? It has been said that the immediate result of appointing a rigid judge who has shown no innovation in jurisprudence and law is two things: Hashemi-ization from the Council and 'burying' expediency. But who is Sadegh Larijani? Sadegh Amoli Larijani (born 1960) is one of the five Larijani brothers. In the history of these five brothers and their father, who was a source of emulation, there is no report of fighting against the Pahlavi regime or being arrested during that period. Nevertheless, all have risen to power within the Islamic Republic and in various high governmental institutions. Sadegh Larijani was 18 years old at the time of the revolution. There is no report of his presence in the fronts during the eight-year war. There is not even a photo of him indicating his presence at the front. In contrast, what we have is that due to his effective role in the widespread violation of human rights in Iran, he is under EU sanctions. However, more importantly, there is a message that can be speculated in his appointment as president of the Council; an appointment higher than the presidency of the Council; candidacy for leadership. One of the criticisms leveled against Khamenei's leadership is how he suddenly elevated from 'Hojjatoleslam' to 'Ayatollah' with his selection as the leader of the system on June 7, 1989. This issue was resolved five years later by promoting him to marja'iyat in 1994. In the decree of Sadegh Larijani's appointment as head of the Council, a clear difference is seen compared to other decrees of the leader for his appointment to the Guardian Council in 2001 and the presidency of the judiciary in 2009. In both of the latter cases, the Supreme Leader referred to Sadegh Larijani as 'Hojjatoleslam'. Whereas in the decree appointing him as head of the judiciary, he is referred to as 'Ayatollah'. Therefore, his role in the 'Assembly of Experts' will be further strengthened. We know that the issue of the successor to the current leader has now become one of the most challenging topics of the system. However, on the other hand, the story of appointments and government jobs in the Islamic Republic is a curious tale. A prime example of this is Sadegh Larijani. He is now simultaneously 1. Head of the Judiciary, 2. Member of the Assembly of Experts, 3. Member of the Guardian Council, and 4. Head of the Expediency Council. (His presidency over the judiciary will end in August 2019.) Now, what is the outcome of this accumulation of jobs? Suppose a law is passed in the Parliament - which is headed by Ali Larijani - and this law goes to the Guardian Council - of which Sadegh Larijani is a member - and is deemed contrary to Sharia or the Constitution. As a result of the blockage that has arisen in the legislative process, the aforementioned law - based on the initiative that Rafsanjani had thought of - goes to the Expediency Council; a Council that Sadegh Larijani (a Guardian member) heads. Can he not influence in favor of the conservative institution like the Guardian Council, of which he is a member? Isn't it ridiculous? Will the outcome of this power for the Expediency Council under the presidency of Sadegh Larijani not be that the Expediency Council - not the Parliament as Ayatollah Khomeini said - is at the 'top of the system'? If Ayatollah Khamenei wanted anything different, could he not appoint Hassan Rouhani as the head of the Council? How about Hassan Khomeini? Is the outcome of this accumulation of power in one person [Sadegh Larijani] in the Guardian Council, the Assembly of Experts, the Expediency Council, and his influential background in the judiciary, supposed to be what? When we know that his other brothers also hold influential positions throughout the government. Shouldn't the elevation of Sadegh Larijani to Ayatollah and the accumulation of this power in him lead us to suspect that Sadegh Larijani has potentially positioned himself as a successor to the leadership or is one of the influential elements in determining the next leader? There is no definitive answer to this question. Perhaps the answer should be sought elsewhere. There, we must wait and see if Ahmadinejad's attacks on Sadegh Larijani will continue? If he is possibly forced into silence, the affirmative answer to the above question will gain strength.