Rafsanjani Urges Experts Assembly to Play More Active Role in Iran
Text of report by Iranian TV news channel on 4 September
At the start of the second session of the fourth-term of the Assembly of Experts, Hojjat ol-Eslam val Moslemin Hashemi- Rafsanjani expressed regret over the demise of Ayatollah Ali Meshkini, the former Assembly of Experts Speaker, and praised the distinguished personality of this combatant juriscunsult.
He referred to Ayatollah Meshkini’s exceptional role in seminaries and teaching clerics in the fields of jurisprudence and Islamic ethics and said: After the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Meshkini played a valuable, effective and prudent role in his critical post as the head of the Assembly of Experts.
Hojjat ol-Eslam Hashemi-Rafsanjani referred to the important role of the Assembly of Experts after the fateful and divine demise of the founder of the Revolution [Ayatollah Khomeyni] and said that the demise of the late Imam Khomeyni created a vulnerable situation for the country and caused deep concerns in society. But the Assembly of Experts could speedily play its critical and valuable role and prevent a potentially dangerous void by making a fair election, he added.
Stressing the necessity for the Assembly of Experts to become active again and play a more tangible role in the state of affairs of the country, Rafsanjani said: The Assembly of Experts can have a supervisory role on issues like the general policies of the country, the 20-year-Development Plan and Article 44 which is being ratified by the Supreme Leader and supervised by other bodies.
Hashemi-Rafsanjani elaborated on the current situation of the country in the international scene, especially in the Middle East, and pointed to the crucial responsibility of the members of the Assembly of Experts and called for vigilance among the members.
Originally published by Islamic Republic of Iran News Network, Tehran, in Persian 0932 4 Sep 07.
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