The Rouhani administration understands that is has many adversaries inside Iran, and that its only supporters are the reformers and those who supported the Green Movement. It also understands that without the continued support of these two groups, Rouhani has very little - if any - chance of reelection. As such, it is essential for the Rouhani administration to open the political atmosphere inside Iran - especially since it was one of Rouhani’s campaign promises.
The second development concerns Rouhani’s speech regarding the Parliamentary and the Assembly of Experts elections in February 2016. He asserts that the Guardian Council should only monitor but not interfere in the management of the election because it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior to carry out the election. The Guardian Council is perhaps the most influential political body in Iran. It has twelve members; the Supreme Leader appoints six and the other six are nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament. This council has the authority to interpret the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, ensure that the laws passed by the legislature are sufficiently “Islamic,” and most importantly, it can approve or disapprove of candidates in elections.
If Rouhani can actually deliver on this speech, he will weaken one of Khamenei’s main sources of power by reducing the influence of the Guardian Council, which has prevented free elections in Iran during the last two decades. If Rouhani succeeds in this task, supporters of freedom and liberty will indeed be indebted to him.