Expediency Council Should Strive for Long-Term Goals

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei emphasized the key role of Expediency Council in determining the general policies of the Islamic Republic and addressing national challenges.

"Expedient policymaking should be based on a long-term rather than a day-to-day approach and should follow elaborate, thorough and robust discussions with the active participation of all members, including the jurisprudents [who are expert in Islamic Law] of the Guardians Council," Ayatollah Khamenei was quoted as saying by his official website.

He was addressing a meeting with the members of Expediency Council on Wednesday.

The council is also tasked with mediating in disputes between the parliament and the 12-member Guardians Council, a body that vets parliamentary acts for conformation with the Constitution and Islamic law.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the three branches of government are responsible for ensuring that the declared general policies are effectively reflected in their plans and policies, and strictly followed by affiliated organizations.

"The general policies lay out a framework for all the executive and legislative measures, and the government, Majlis and all other bodies should align themselves with these policies," he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei appointed former judiciary chief, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, as the new head of the council in mid-August.

Ayatollah Shahroudi also holds the post of deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts that elects and monitors the activities of the Leader.

He replaced the council's late chairman, former president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died of heart failure in January at the age of 82.

Rafsanjani led the council for more than 27 years, after his predecessor, Ayatollah Khamenei, left the body for the role of leadership in 1989.