Former and current presidents of Iran, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani and Hassan Rouhani, are in the lead in the elections for Iran’s Assembly of Experts, Reuters reports, citing the official results of the voting.

According to those data, Rafsanjani has won most of the votes, current President Rouhani coming the second.

The elections for the Assembly took place simultaneously with the parliamentary one.  

The Assembly of Experts includes 88 theologians who know Islamic law. It is they who have the right to elect the supreme leader of their country from among their staff in emergency situations, Gazeta reports.

Rafsanjani is a key ally and partner of Rouhani in the current political situation, including during the elections for the Assembly of Experts. He assumed the post of Iran’s President from 1989 to 1997.