Rafsanjani. Demands probe
Photo: AFP
Assembly of Experts in Iran
Photo: Reuters
Former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani called on the government Sunday to conduct investigations into various complaints made by candidates of Iran's controversial June 12 election.
Rafsanjani commended Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on his decision to prolong the period of time in which the vote's irregularities can be probed. "This move is very useful for achieving public trust in the elections," IRNA quoted him as saying.
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Rafsanjani, who supported defeated reformist Mir Hussein Mosavi, said he hoped the government would "conduct an extensive investigation of the legal complaints, in a just and precise manner and with the cooperation of the candidates".
Last week Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported that Rafsanjani spent a few days in the holy Shiite city of Qom, where he consulted religious leaders on his actions following the elections and the ensuing violence in Iran.
The London-based newspaper reported that Rafsanjani arrived in the city to meet with several religious leaders and members of the Assembly of Experts, which is responsible for monitoring Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
According to the report, the assembly proposed the establishment of an alternative religious council, made up of several top ayatollahs, in a move against Khamenei.