The World : Khomeini Settles Dispute

Iran’s spiritual leader, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, settled a jurisdictional dispute in the Iranian government, giving the executive branch new powers. The Tehran newspaper Kayhan said Khomeini decreed that Prime Minister Hussein Moussavi, without approval of the Majlis (Parliament), can change regulations on public utilities such as water, electricity and telephones, as well as some financial and economic institutions such as shipping, banking and labor organizations. The question arose recently when the government introduced new labor regulations without Parliament’s approval, and the Council of Guardians of the Constitution, a 12-member panel of legal experts, complained to Khomeini.