February 21/2012

In September of 2011, Mohamad-Ali Katouzian, a Majlis MP leaked a plan to eliminate presidential system and replacing it with a parliamentary regime. A week later Ayatollah Khamenei admitted to it, adding that it was a long shot. I wrote about this in InsdieIran:

http://www.insideiran.org/news/wither-the-iranian-presidency/

I suggested that such a drastic amendment of the Constitution if ever implemented may not go down easily, and may have serious repercussions. Almost six months after Khamenei's scheme was exposed, Ahmadinejad seems to try to preempt it. In a meeting on the legal system of Iran, he stated " The main principles of the Constitution cannot be changed…our regime is a regime of mandate of qualified jurist (Imamat and velayat) but the role of the President also is clearly defined as the authority next to the Supreme Leader, and his mission is well specified as the defender of the country's Constitution…" Repeated changes in the Constitution would undermine the body of laws of the country, he added. Ahmadinejad also promised to talk more about the Constitution, particularly the role of freedoms in it which according to him is "unique in the world.":

http://www.fararu.com/vdcbfsb85rhbgfp.uiur.html

Enjoying the tacit support of the newly formed "Jebhe Paydari" (The perseverance Front) led by Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Messbah-Yazdi, Ahmadinejad does not seem to intend to go away with a whimper.