Iran's Guardian Council has just selected the Candidates for the upcoming Iranian elections.
Only 30 out of the 3,000 Reformist applicants were approved (the rest were disqualified) to run for Parliament. The balance of the approx 4,700 applicants approved to run for Parliament are presumably classified as hardliners.
Reformist Candidates = approx 30 = 0.6% of total candidates
Hardliner Candidates = approx 4670 = 99.4% of total candidates
Total Seats = 290
How Iran works:
The electorate will be voting for 290 members of Parliament in late February. Even if all 30 reformists are voted in, they will hold only 30 out of the 290 seats.
More importantly, out of the chosen members of Parliament, the electorate will also be voting for the 88 members of the Assembly of Experts (for an 8 year term) - Mutjahids (Islamic theologians) who are then charged with electing and removing the Supreme Leader (The Ayatollah) and supervising his activities.
The Guardian Council is made up of 12 members (of whom 7 are selected by the Ayatollah) - the Assembly of Experts are the "top dogs" under the Ayatollah.
So Ayatollah chooses the majority of the Guardian Council, who in turn choose the candidates who will run for Parliament and the Assembly of Experts. The Assembly of Experts ultimately choose a new Supreme Leader (Ayatollah) who can remain in that role for at least 8 years (one term) and for an unlimited number of terms.
Sounds like a Ponzi scheme to me.
Anyway, Obama, Merkel and co spent years negotiating a deal (which apparently was not signed) on a wing and a prayer with the smiling (reformist) Iranian President and Foreign Minister, but what is that deal worth when hardliners back home have the real say in what they choose to and not to do?? The Iranian boss (the Supreme Leader Khameini) chose never to involve himself in the negotiations (we know why).
Iran - loved one day, trusted the next.
Once they are booted out, Obama and Merkel will be contentedly absolved of any responsibility and will have have washed their hands of the even bigger global mess that is to come.
