'We can still expose to the world a suitable and practical model of Islam, but this needed a correct management.'

Rafsanjani did not clarify whether Ahmadinejad was capable of delivering the 'correct management'.

Rafsanjani, who heads the Experts Assembly, hoped that Khamenei would avail himself of his experience and move forward toward settling the current problems.

According to official statistics, out of more than 1,000 protestors arrested after the election, more than 100 are still in jail.

The detainees are not only demonstrators, journalists and dissidents but also former ministers and parliament deputies.

Rafsanjani had criticised the government for lacking tolerance with 'our own people' and demanded the immediate release of all detainees.

He was one of the main architects of the 1979 Islamic revolution, a close aide to late supreme leader Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, parliament speaker, president from 1989-97 and now head of the Experts Assembly.

Ahmadinejad, however, pushed Rafsanjani into the opposition corner after he accused him and his family of corruption and seeking political hegemony.

Rafsanjani is now close to Mussavi and former president Mohammad Khatami and therefore under severe criticism from Iran's ultraconservative factions and clergy circles.

Rafsanjani has several times stressed that despite his criticism, he has never been after undermining the ruling system in Iran but is just seeking to properly implement the constitution.