Expediency Discernment Council

The Expediency Discernment Council of the System ( Majma'-e Taškhīs-e Maslahat-e Nezām) is an administrative assembly of Iran appointed by the Supreme Leader and was created upon the revision to the Constitution on 6 February 1988. It was originally set up to resolve differences or conflicts between the Majlis and the Guardian Council, but "its true power lies more in its advisory role to the Supreme Leader." According to Hooman Majd, the Leader "delegated some of his own authority to the council—granting it supervisory powers over all branches of the government" following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election in 2005.

Members of the council are chosen by the Supreme Leader every five years.

History and role
By 1987, the legislative process as well as the country's long-term policy formation had come to a standstill due to the doctrinal conflict between radical factions of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Guardian Council, which officials described as coercive at the time. Consultations in February the following year led to Ayatollah Khomeini ordering the appointment of a 13-member council that was given legislative authority: it could pass temporary laws (effective for three-year periods). Article 112 of Iran's Constitution states the EDC will be convened by the Supreme Leader to determine expedience cases where the Guardian Council finds an Islamic Consultative Assembly decision against the principles of religious law or the constitution, and where the Consultative Assembly is unable to satisfy the Guardian Council in view of the expedience of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Formally, the Expediency Discernment Council of the System (or Regime) is primarily a constitutional advisory body for the Supreme Leader (at the latter's behest), as described in article 112 of the Islamic Republic's Constitution. It is meant to "discern the interests of the Islamic Republic" by resolving internal regime conflicts. The Council consisted of thirteen members when originally convened, and included six clergy members (appointed by the Supreme Leader), six public officials (President, Prime Minister, Majles Speaker, Supreme Court Chief Justice, Prosecutor General, and a Supreme Leader representative), as well as the Majles member whose legislation was overturned. The EDC Chairman is appointed every five years by the Supreme Leader. Even though the Supreme Leader is a member of the Council itself (and it being his advisory council), he can deputize the Council. Nine years later, in 1997, Khamenei expanded its membership to thirty-four, twenty-five of whom were thence appointed for five-year terms. During February 2007, a new Council was formed, with twenty-seven members being directly chosen by the Supreme Leader this time.

As stated by article 111, if the position of Supreme Leader is undeclared for whatever reason, a council composed of President, head of the Judiciary, and one of the jurisconsults of the Guardian Council chosen by the EDC shall discharge his functions collectively and temporarily. If any of them is unable to discharge his duties, another person shall be appointed by the EDC in his place. The Council also resolves disputes that concern the Guardian Council and the Majles. Domestic and foreign policies of the regime are determined only after consultation with the Expediency Council, according to article 110 of the Constitution (with oversight of the Supreme Leader). The Expediency Council is only meant to act on behalf of the legislative branch, although in reality it intercedes as a mediator between all bureaucratic branches, including the executive. If ratification of the Consultative Assembly is not confirmed by the Guardian Council (and deputies insist on implementing the ratification), the EDC can intervene to make a decision. The Expediency Discernment Council can advise the faghih on policy and strategy (in accordance to article 111 of the Constitution), and despite not being part of the legislative branch, it can remove parliamentary powers. As an example of this, in April 2000 it removed from parliamentary capacity the faculty to investigate institutions under the control of the Supreme Leader, such as the Pasdaran and the Council of the Guardians. In practice, its composition almost guarantees its rulings mirror the legal opinion the Guardian Council, and more importantly, the Supreme Leader's. Being dominated by conservative ulama, this has furthered the faction's grip over Iran.

During August 2001, the Council was convened by the Supreme Leader to resolve the dispute between the Judiciary and the Assembly. The latter was dominated by reformers, while the former was dominated by conservatives, so the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wanted the EDC to settle this political confrontation. The confrontation referred to the parliament's rejection to approve conservative candidates' appointments to the Guardian Council. Conservatives did not want to lose control of the Guardian Council, dreading president Mohammad Khatami and reformist allies would push through political and social reforms. Members of the Council are generally ayatollahs and hojatoleslams (a step before ayatollah). In 2005, the capacity of the Council to act as a government supervisory body was supplemented to its powers. The EDC's influence grew when cleric Hashemi Rafsanjani joined it.

Historic membership

 * Eighth council (2017–2022)

On 14 March 2012, a new council was appointed for a five-year period. Eight months before the end of the council, chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani dies and Ali Movahedi-Kermani became interim chairman until the end of the council period.
 * Seventh council (2012–2017)


 * 1) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (Chairman until January 2017)
 * 2) Ali Movahedi-Kermani (Chairman from February 2017)
 * 3) Mohsen Rezaei (Secretary)
 * 4) Ahmad Jannati
 * 5) Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
 * 6) Ebrahim Amini
 * 7) Hassan Rouhani
 * 8) Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri
 * 9) Ali Larijani
 * 10) Hassan Sane'i
 * 11) Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i
 * 12) Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi
 * 13) Mahmoud Mohammadi Araghi
 * 14) Majid Ansari
 * 15) Gholamreza Mesbahi-Moghadam
 * 16) Gholam Reza Aghazadeh
 * 17) Ali Agha-Mohammadi
 * 18) Abbas Vaez-Tabasi, followed by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
 * 19) Mohammad Javad Irvani
 * 20) Mohammad Reza Bahonar
 * 21) Habibollah Asgaroladi
 * 22) Saeed Jalili
 * 23) Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel
 * 24) Hassan Habibi
 * 25) Davoud Danesh Jafari
 * 26) Parviz Davoudi
 * 27) Hossein Saffar Harandi
 * 28) Mohammad Reza Aref
 * 29) Mohammad Forouzandeh
 * 30) Lt. General Hassan Firouzabadi
 * 31) Hossein Mohammadi
 * 32) Hossein Mozaffar
 * 33) Mostafa Mir-Salim
 * 34) Morteza Nabavi
 * 35) Ali Akbar Velayati
 * 36) Lt. General Ahmad Vahidi
 * 37) Sadegh Vaez-Zadeh

Ex officio members:


 * 1) President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, followed by Hassan Rouhani
 * 2) Parliament Speaker: Ali Larijani
 * 3) Judiciary Chief: Sadeq Larijani
 * 4) SNSC Secretary: Saeed Jalili, followed by Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani
 * Clergy members of Guardians Council at one point:
 * Ahmad Jannati
 * Mohammad Momen
 * Mohammad-Reza Modarresi Yazdi
 * Mehdi Shabzendedar
 * Mohammad Yazdi
 * Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
 * 1) The minister concerned depending on the subject under discussion
 * 2) The parliament commission head concerned depending on the subject under discussion

The following is a list of its members of the years (2007-2012):
 * Sixth council (2007–2012)


 * 1) Hashemi Rafsanjani, Akbar, Ayatollah (Chairman of the Council) *
 * 2) Mohsen Rezaee, PhD* (Secretary General)
 * 3) Jannati, Ahmad, Ayatollah *
 * 4) Vaez Tabasi, Abbas, Ayatollah *
 * 5) Amini Najafabadi, Ebrahim, Ayatollah *
 * 6) Haddad-Adel, Gholam Ali, PhD *
 * 7) Emami Kashani, Mohammad, Ayatollah *
 * 8) Movahedi-Kermani, Ali, Ayatollah *
 * 9) Habibi, Hassan Ebrahim, PhD *
 * 10) Mousavi, Mir Hossein MSc *
 * 11) Velayati, Ali Akbar, MD *
 * 12) Dorri Najafabadi, Ghorbanali, Ayatollah *
 * 13) Mohammadi Reyshahri, Mohammad, Hojatoleslam *
 * 14) Sane'i, Hassan, Hojatoleslam *
 * 15) Rouhani, Hassan, Hojatoleslam, PhD *
 * 16) Asgar Owladi, Habibollah *
 * 17) Larijani, Ali, PhD *
 * 18) Bahonar, Mohammad Reza
 * 19) Tavassoli Mahallati, Mohammad Reza, Ayatollah *
 * 20) Mirsalim, Mostafa *
 * 21) Nabavi, Morteza *
 * 22) Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri, Hojatoleslam *
 * 23) Firouzabadi, Hassan, Major General *
 * 24) Aghazadeh, Gholam Reza *
 * 25) Namdar Zanganeh, Bijan *
 * 26) Ali Agha-Mohammadi
 * 27) Mohammad Forouzandeh
 * 28) Davoud Danesh-Jafari
 * 29) Majid Ansari
 * 30) Hossein Mozaffar
 * 31) Mohammad Javad Irvani
 * 32) Mohammad Reza Aref
 * 33) Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i
 * 34) Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani
 * 35) Parviz Davoodi

Ex officio members:
 * 1) President
 * 2) Speaker of Majles
 * 3) Chief of the Judiciary
 * 4) The minister concerned depending on the subject under discussion
 * 5) The representative of Majlis commission concerning the subject discussed
 * If mediating between Majlis and Guardian Council, the council will also include the six clerics of the Guardian Council.

The following is a list of its members of the years 2002-2007.
 * Fifth council (2002–2007)
 * 1) Hashemi Rafsanjani, Akbar, Ayatollah (Chairman) *
 * 2) Amini Najafabadi, Ibrahim, Ayatollah *
 * 3) Vaez Tabasi, Abbas, Hojatoleslam *
 * 4) Emami Kashani, Mohammad, Ayatollah *
 * 5) Mousavi, Mir Hussein *
 * 6) Velayati, Ali Akbar *
 * 7) Mohammadi Reyshahri, Mohammad, Hojatoleslam *
 * 8) Sane'i, Hassan, Hojatoleslam *
 * 9) Rouhani, Hassan, Hojatoleslam, PhD *
 * 10) Asgar Owladi, Habibollah *
 * 11) Dorri Najafabadi, Qorbanali, Hojatoleslam *
 * 12) Larijani, Ali *
 * 13) Mirsalim, Mostafa *
 * 14) Tavassoli Mahallati, Mohammadreza, Ayatollah *
 * 15) Nabavi, Morteza *
 * 16) Firouzabadi, Hassan, Major General *
 * 17) Aqazadeh, Gholamreza *
 * 18) Namdar Zanganeh, Bijan *
 * 19) Rafsanjani, Mohammad Hashemi *
 * 20) Habibi, Hassan Ibrahim *
 * 21) Mohsen Rezaee * (Secretary General of the Council)
 * 22) Ahmad Jannati
 * 23) Ali Movahedi-Kermani
 * 24) Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri
 * 25) Mohammad Reza Aref
 * 26) Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel
 * 27) Majid Ansari
 * 28) Mohammad Reza Bahonar
 * 29) Hossein Mozaffar
 * 30) Mohammad Javad Irvani
 * 31) Mehdi Karroubi (appointed at 2004)


 * (*) Re-appointed

Ex officio members:
 * 1) President
 * 2) Speaker of Majles
 * 3) Chief of the Judiciary
 * 4) The minister concerned depending on the subject under discussion
 * 5) The representative of Majlis commission concerning the subject discussed
 * If mediating between Majlis and Guardian Council, the council will also include the six clerics of the Guardian Council.

The following is a list of its members of the years 1997-2002.
 * Fourth council (1997–2002)


 * 1) Hashemi Rafsanjani, Akbar, Hojatoleslam (Chairman)
 * 2) Mohsen Rezaee (Secretary General from Sept. 1997)
 * 3) Mahdavi Kani, Mohammad-Reza, Hojatoleslam
 * 4) Amini, Ebrahim, Ayatollah
 * 5) Jannati, Ahmad, Ayatollah
 * 6) Movahedi-Kermani, Ali, Ayatollah
 * 7) Tabasi, Abbas, Hojatoleslam
 * 8) Emami Kashani, Mohammad, Ayatollah
 * 9) Mousavi, Mir Hussein
 * 10) Velayati, Ali Akbar
 * 11) Mohammadi Reyshahri, Mohammad, Hojatoleslam
 * 12) Sane'i, Hassan, Hojatoleslam
 * 13) Rouhani, Hassan, Hojatoleslam, PhD *
 * 14) Mousavi Khoeiniha, Mohammad, Hojatoleslam
 * 15) Asgar Owladi, Habibollah
 * 16) Dorri Najafabadi, Qorbanali, Hojatoleslam
 * 17) Larijani, Ali
 * 18) Mirsalim, Mostafa
 * 19) Tavassoli Mahallati, Mohammadreza, Ayatollah
 * 20) Nouri, Abdullah, Hojatoleslam
 * 21) Nabavi, Morteza
 * 22) Firouzabadi, Hassan, Lt. General
 * 23) Aqazadeh, Gholamreza
 * 24) Namdar Zanganeh, Bijan
 * 25) Rafsanjani, Mohammad Hashemi
 * 26) Nourbakhsh, Mohsen
 * 27) Habibi, Hassan Ibrahim

Ex officio members:


 * 1) President: Khatami, Mohammad, Hojatoleslam
 * 2) Majlis Speaker: Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri, Hojatoleslam followed by Karroubi, Mehdi, Hojatoleslam
 * 3) Judiciary Chief: Yazdi, Mohammad, Ayatollah followed by Hashemi Shahroudi, Mahmoud, Ayatollah
 * 4) The minister or head office of administration concerned depending on the subject under discussion
 * 5) The representative of Majlis commission concerning the subject which is being discussed
 * Clergy members of Guardians Council at one point: (Only in case of mediating between Majlis and Guardian Council)
 * 1) Jannati, Ahmad, Ayatollah
 * 2) Ostadi, Reza, Ayatollah
 * 3) Rezvani, Gholamreza, Ayatollah
 * 4) Mo'men, Mohammad, Ayatollah
 * 5) Yazdi, Mohammad, Ayatollah
 * 6) Taheri Khoram-Abadi, Hasan, Ayatollah

The following is a list of its members of the years 1992–1997.
 * Third council (1992–1997)


 * 1) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (chairman)
 * 2) Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani
 * 3) Hassan Sane'i
 * 4) Ahmad Khomeini
 * 5) Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha
 * 6) Ali Movahedi-Kermani
 * 7) Mohammadreza Tavassoli Mahallati
 * 8) Abdullah Nouri
 * 9) Hassan Rouhani
 * 10) Hassan Ibrahim Habibi
 * 11) Mir Hussein Mousavi

Ex officio members:


 * 1) President: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
 * 2) Majlis Speaker: Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri
 * 3) Judiciary Chief: Mohammad Yazdi
 * 4) The minister or head office of administration concerned depending on the subject under discussion
 * 5) The representative of Majlis commission concerning the subject which is being discussed
 * Clergy members of Guardians Council at that time.

The following is a list of its members of the years 1989-1992.
 * Second council (1989–1992)


 * 1) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (chairman)
 * 2) Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani
 * 3) Yousef Saanei
 * 4) Hassan Sane'i
 * 5) Ahmad Khomeini
 * 6) Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha
 * 7) Ali Movahedi-Kermani
 * 8) Mohammadreza Tavassoli Mahallati
 * 9) Abdullah Nouri
 * 10) Mir Hussein Mousavi

Ex officio members:


 * 1) President: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
 * 2) Majlis Speaker: Mehdi Karroubi followed by Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri
 * 3) Judiciary Chief: Mohammad Yazdi
 * 4) The minister or head office of administration concerned depending on the subject under discussion
 * 5) The representative of Majlis commission concerning the subject which is being discussed
 * Clergy members of Guardians Council at that time.

The following is a list of its members of the year 1988-1989.
 * First council (February 6, 1988–1989)


 * 1) Ali Khamenei (chairman)
 * 2) Mohammadreza Tavassoli Mahallati
 * 3) Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha
 * 4) Mir Hussein Mousavi
 * 5) Ahmad Khomeini (Reporting the decision outcomes of Council to Ruhollah Khomeini)

Ex officio members:


 * 1) President: Ali Khamenei
 * 2) Majlis Speaker: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
 * 3) Judiciary Chief: Abdul-Karim Mousavi Ardebili
 * Clergy members of Guardians Council at that time.

Chairpersons
Colour key:
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