Expediency Council Convenes

The Expediency Council convened on Saturday for the first time after the demise of the late chairman of the key clerical body, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The council resolves disputes between the parliament and the Guardians Council a body that vets any election and legislation, IRNA reported. Ayatollah Rafsanjani, who passed away from a cardiac arrest on Jan. 8 at the age of 82, was one of the prominent figures that helped lead the 1979 Islamic Revolution to victory and went on to hold various influential positions. He served as president for two terms and was also a member of the Assembly of Experts, a body tasked with appointing and dismissing the Leader and overseeing his performance. With the permission of the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahhedi-Kermani chaired the Saturday session. Ayatollah Movahhedi Kermani, in his address to the meeting, expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Ayatollah Rafsanjani, describing him as a "wise and valiant revolutionary".