His insistence on the rule by a leading Islamic jurist to ensure Sharia compliance, followed by a nuanced view that the ruling jurist need not be leading and Sharia could be overruled in service of Islam’s interests, reflects the complexity of his vision.The compatibility of Khomeini’s ideas with democracy remains a subject of intense debate. While some argue that Khomeini intended the Islamic Republic to be a democratic state, others contest this interpretation. Both ultraconservative supporters and reformist opponents of the regime have weighed in on this issue. Khomeini himself made statements both supporting and opposing democracy, reflecting the inherent contradictions in his ideology. Scholars posit that Khomeini viewed the massive turnout during the revolution as a ‘referendum’ in favor of an Islamic republic, superseding the significance of elections.