Iran’s supreme leader intervenes in disputes over Azad University

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei issued separate letters to Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to stop their disputes over Azad University, Iran’s private university.

Mehr News Agency reports that the two parties were told to stop all their proposed changes to the structure of the university.

The disputes over Azad University have started since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad first became president in 2004.

Azad University has been considered a stronghold of Iranian reformists and Ahmadinejad has been trying to reorganize its board members in order to assume control of this higher education institution which has numerous branches all over Iran and abroad.

While the parliament has opposed Ahmadinejad’s moves, the Guardian Council, which has to approve every bill passed by the parliament, has lent its support to the Ahmadinejad camp.

The new president of the university was supposed to be appointed yesterday, Sunday, but Ayatollah Khamenei’s intervention has for now put a stop to all changes being proposed on the management level of the university.