Tehran, April 29 (IANS/AKI) All candidates running for Iran’s parliament must have postgraduate degrees in future, the Guardian Council’s spokesman, Abbasali Kadkhodai, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.
The new law has already been approved by the Iranian parliament and is aimed at improving the quality of the country’s lawmakers, he said.
National elections are due within 12 months and loom amid a mounting struggle between Iran’s Supreme Leader, 71-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The Guardian Council vets parliamentary legislation and besides selecting candidates, it oversees presidential and parliamentary elections. It is also the custodian of Iran’s constitution and Islamic law.
