Iran’s Guardian Council has passed election reforms despite heavy resistance from the administration and its representatives in Parliament.
The Mehr News Agency reports that Abasali Kadkhodayi, the spokesman for the Guardian Council, said on Monday September 28 that after the necessary changes which the Council had called for in its first review of the bill were put in place, it was passed by the Council, which is the final step in turning the bill into law.
The new legislation widely diminishes the administration’s authority in running elections. Prior to the new law, the Interior Ministry supervised the election process, but now that process will be mainly run by a panel, and the Interior Minister will be just one of 12 panel members.
The conservative faction of the establishment has been wary of the possibility that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s supporters might try to take over the coming presidential election.
In the last presidential election, allegations of vote fraud led to a crisis. The reformist candidates challenged Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory, and protesters marched in the streets, demanding that their votes be recognized.
The next presidential election will take place in June of this year.
