During the Khatami presidency the Expediency Council was an instrument for thwarting the will of the reformist majlis (parliament). The latest adjustment by Khamenei has not only burnished Rafsanjani's very tarnished reputation a bit, but it is intended to temper the power of conservatives and militarists who now dominate both the government and the regime. As such, the basic character of Iran's regime is not changed at although some of the loose cannons may be tied down.
Iran Moves to Curb Hard-Liners: "Khamenei expanded the authority of the Expediency Council, an appointive body whose longtime chairman, former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, is a fixture of Iranian politics and invariably described as wily insider. Rafsanjani lost last June's presidential election, but Khamenei's new decree, made public Oct. 1, gives Rafsanjani at least nominal supervision over the administration put in place by the winner, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."
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