There are some unconfirmed reports swirling around that Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a senior cleric who supports Mir-Hossein Moussavi, and also the head of the Assembly of Experts, has called an emergency meeting of the Assembly of Experts in the holy city of Qom.

The Assembly of Experts most notable role in the Islamic Republic is selecting the Supreme Leader.  There has been rumors all weekend that Rafsanjani was in Qom quietly counting the votes needed to remove Khameini from power.

Rafsanjani was President in Iran from 1989-1997, succeeding Khameini, who at the time, was serving as both the President and the Supreme Leader.  He also ran for a third term in 2005 against Ahmedinejad and lost in the runoff, amidst allegations of voting irregularities.

Rafsanjani is seen as somewhat of a moderate, as opposed to the hard-liners of Khameini and Ahmedinejad.  If this report is true, this would be a major development.

Meanwhile, it seems that demonstrations have continued today, and Moussavi has called for a Day of Mourning tomorrow:

“A number of our countrymen were wounded or martyred,” Mousavi said, calling the day of mourning for Thursday. “I ask the people to express their solidarity with the families … by coming together in mosques or taking part in peaceful demonstrations,” Mousavi said on his website.

Tags: elections, iran, iranElection

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