September 4, 2007 (LPAC)--An important development, reported by the Iranian news agency, IRNA, this morning is that Hashemi Rafsanjani, former Iranian President and head of the Expediency Council, was elected head of the Assembly of Experts for the body's fourth term. Rafsanjani, 73, won by 41 votes out of 76, against Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who got 34. The man Rafsanjani is replacing was Ayatollah Ali Meshkini who passed away on July 30 at the age of 86. The death of Meshkini, known as a hardliner, was reported as the first phase in a fight for power inside the country's leading institutions. Rafsanjani is considered a moderate, whereas Jannati is a hardliner.

The Assembly of Experts is made up of 86 members, who were elected through nationwide elections on December 15, 2006, for a nine-year term. The Assembly is responsible for electing the Supreme Leader, monitoring his performance, and, if necessary, removing him from office.