Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could face jail time for allegedly breaching constitutional laws by going with his chief adviser to the election registry office.
Ahmadinejad will go to Iran's judiciary to be charged: his conviction could give him up to six months in jail, or 74 lashes.
According to the Associated Press, Ahmadinejad and ruling clerics in Iran have engaged in a power struggle for years-now, tensions between political leaders have come to a head.
The entity that complained on Sunday, called the Guardian Council, is comprised of six Islamic experts in Iranian law and is responsible for interpreting and protecting the country's constitution and approving or denying bills introduced in the Majlis, Iran's version of Parliament.
The Guardian Council also is tasked with taking careful, critical looks at all presidential candidates.
Guardian Council members claimed that Ahmadinejad went against rules outlined in the constitution when he broke public fund laws, accompanying potential candidate Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei when he signed up at the election registration office Saturday.
Although President Ahmadinejad will not run in this year's elections, this dispute could mean potential hardships for his protégé, Mashaei, who is slated to run in the June 14 presidential elections.
Mashaei is among upwards of 680 potential presidential candidates, but no more than a handful of hopefuls will be put on the final ballot.
Mashaei is married to the president's daughter. The two have been longtime close colleagues.
Ahmadinejad has pushed hard for Mashaei to take his place on the presidential seat, and some have accused him of using any opening possible to fund and publicly support Mashaei, giving the potential candidate an unfair advantage.
Members of the Iranian clergy have also argued that Mashaei will look to undermine Islamic legislation if elected into office, while Ahmadinejad firmly maintains that his protégé should be president.
State-run television networks bore images of Ahmadinejad and Mashaei, the president grinning while his son-in-law put in papers at the registry office.
Officials say that the odds are in favor of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has a loyal following in the country.
Other potential front-runners include Ali Akbar, senior Khamenei adviser, Mayor of Tehran Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and lawmaker Hadad Adel.
