TEHRAN - A member of the Guardian Council (GC) has said that the GC is the only authority for the interpretation of the Constitution in case of any ambiguities.

Mohsen Esmaeili, in an interview with IRIB Channel One, said that the reason for the existence of the Guardian Council is enshrined in the Constitution.

He added that if we want an Islamic and republican system we have to have an institution for safeguarding the Sharia and the Constitution, and that is why the GC has been established by the Constitution.

Esmaeili underlined that the most significant institution in safeguarding the republican and Islamic nature of the system is the Guardian Council, which consists of six prominent jurists appointed by the Leader and six other members introduced by the Judiciary for approval by the Majlis. He pointed to supervision of elections as another important function of the GC and added that since the Constitution may contain unclear clauses, therefore changing the Constitution is also another function of the GC. The only institution authorized to change the Constitution is the Guardian Council, which is also responsible for its interpretation.