http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MC22Ak04.html Middle East Mar 22, 2011 | | | | Share | More | |

| The downfall of Rafsanjani
By Mahan Abedin

The decision by former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani not to contest elections for the head of the Assembly of Experts indicates that efforts to purge him from the establishment are now almost complete.

The official exit of Rafsanjani from the country's political establishment is the most visible sign of the profound political changes that have taken place over the past 21 months. Asia Times Online has consistently argued since June 2009 - in the immediate aftermath of Iran's controversial Presidential Elections - that Rafsanjani will end up as one of the biggest losers of Iran's political transformation.

Besides confirming the total collapse of the centrist line in the

Islamic Republic, Rafsanjani's political demise is yet another clear shift towards authoritarianism and superficially at least consolidates the position of hardline right-wing factions.

However, beyond the immediate challenge of reconstructing the official establishment, the Islamic Republic is still faced with the difficult task of addressing long-term concerns about legitimacy and democratic accountability. The new regional dynamic of reform and democratization are likely to add greater impetus to this process.

End of a career
The end when it came was more gentle than expected. Instead of a public humiliation or even worse, the clerical grandees of the Islamic Republic - doubtless with tacit backing from the leader of the revolution, Grand Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei - decided to grant Rafsanjani the relative luxury of an elegant exit. Their task was made easier by Rafsanjani's growing acceptance of his ultimate fate - removal from the establishment.

Nicknamed the shark and Akbar Shah (in