2 prominent conservative clerics in Iran's Assembly of Experts fail to win re-election

Two prominent conservative clerics have failed to secure seats in Iran's next Assembly of Experts that is tasked with discussing and deciding on the leadership of the country, a statement by the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi and Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, members of the outgoing assembly, could not win enough votes to secure their places among the 16 required in Tehran province.

Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi is a conservative politician, Islamic scholar and Shi'ite cleric. He has been called "the most conservative" with the most "powerful" clerical influence in Iran's leading center of religious learning, the city of Qom.

He advocates Islamic philosophy that opposes the Western way of thought, the West-oriented reform movement and Western culture.

Mohammad Yazdi is also a Shi'ite cleric who served as head of Judiciary System of Iran between 1989 and 1999. Yazdi is an incumbent chairman-member of the Assembly of Experts and a member of the Guardian Council.

Out of the 16 elected candidates for the assembly in Tehran province, 15 were supported by reformists and moderates.

Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former centrist president, and the moderate President Hassan Rouhani are among the top three elected for Tehran.

The Assembly of Experts is a deliberative body of Islamic theologians or Mujtahids, elected for eight-year termss, and charged with electing and removing the Supreme Leader of Iran and supervising his activities.

On Friday, the Iranians partook in one of the country's most important elections of Assembly of Experts to choose 88 members out of 166 qualified hopefuls. Endit