Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed three ayatollahs to terms on the country’s powerful Guardian Council, the 12-member body responsible for vetting candidates and legislation for conformity with Islamic principles and the Iranian constitution.

In a decree issued on Tuesday, the Leader cited article 91 of the Iranian Constitution to reappoint Islamic jurist members Ayatollah Mohammad Mo’men, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi and Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi to another six-year term in the supervisory body.

The Council’s members are divided between six officials who are chosen directly by Khamenei and six who are chosen by parliamentarians from a pool of candidates selected by Iran’s head of the judiciary – who is also a Khamenei appointee. Earlier this week, the Iranian parliament elected three members as well. Khamenei’s influence over the Council provides the Supreme Leader with largely unchecked and uncheckable control over Iran’s legislative and electoral dynamics. Among its other responsibilities, the Guardian Council is responsible for purging lists of candidates before elections. During the 2013 presidential election the Council reduced a list of over 670 candidates to just eight eligible candidates, which analysts described as “Khamenei ‘Yes Men.’”

Iran’s most powerful institutions-including the Revolutionary Guards, Basij paramilitary, Intelligence ministry, Guardian Council, parliament, judiciary, state television, and religious foundations, to name a few-are led by individuals either hand picked by Khamenei or unfailingly obsequious to him. In this context, it would appear uncharacteristic for such a micro-managing autocrat to refrain from actively influencing, if not deciding, the outcome of such a powerful institution as the presidency.

The regime then cleared the field for the eventual winner, consummate regime insider Hassan Rouhani.

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