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Iran’s current political system is based on the 1979 constitution, which was passed by popular referendum after the Iranian revolution. The revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini transformed Iran from a constitutional monarchy to a theocratic republic that intricately links Shari’ah, or Islamic law, to constitutional law with elected and appointed leaders.
Power is largely consolidated within a few governing bodies. The Supreme Leader, Iran’s highest ranking political, military and religious authority, and the Guardian Council, an appointed body of law specialists and clerics, have the ability to veto any legislation if they interpret the law as being incompatible with the constitution or Shari’ah. Additionally, the Guardian Council can disqualify any candidate from running for public office. In the 1997 presidential elections, the Guardian Council disqualified all but four of the 230 declared candidates.
The 2005 presidential elections were widely viewed as neither free nor fair and further revealed the rivalry between reform-minded activists, advocating the liberalization of the economy and human rights, and conservatives, concerned that the further opening of Iran would threaten the Islamic Republic. Mohammed Khatami won the two preceding elections on a platform of liberation and reform, promoting freedom of expression, free market economy and diplomatic relationships, but his failure to pass reform legislation opened the door for conservatives in the 2005 elections. Current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the election in a run-off with former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
In June 2009, Iran held its tenth presidential elections in which reformist candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi opposed sitting president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Following the announcement of Ahmadinejad’s victory, allegations of widespread fraud circulated and hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest the election outcome. In response, the government employed its security forces to quell the protests, and arrested and detained thousands of Iranians. In the aftermath of the elections, Iran increased restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association and heavily censored independent media outlets and reformist websites.
On March 2, 2012, Iran held its first elections since the 2009 disputed presidential poll. As predicted, President Ahmadinejad’s supporters lost to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s allies by a wide margin. Although the elections for 290 seats in the Iranian parliament proceeded smoothly, critics highlighted the vetting and disqualification of many reformist candidates.
Political Context
Iran’s parliament, the Majlis, is unicameral and consists of 290 members elected to four-year terms. The parliament sessions are open to the public and are broadcasted. Although the parliament cannot be dissolved, the Guardian Council has the ability to veto any legislation. The last parliamentary elections occurred in March 2012 amidst a climate of controversy, as the Guardian Council disqualified nearly all reformist candidates in the lead-up to the elections.
Local government is administered by the Ministry of Interior’s appointed provincial governor-general and elected city councils. While local government was ratified in the 1979 constitution, the first local council elections were not held until 1999. In that first election, reformist candidates gained the majority of seats in Tehran and women competed successfully in a number of districts. Hard-line conservatives swept the 2003 municipal elections, but then failed to control any local council in the 2006 elections.
Human rights and restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and religion are serious concerns in Iran. The state controls the media and regularly bans websites and other media outlets. Civil society has largely been suppressed as activists are often beaten or imprisoned. Public demonstrations are often met by state security with violence. Religious discrimination has permeated society as non-Shiite believers face employment bias and some religions, such as Baha’i Faith, have limited access to public services. Women also face discriminatory practices. Although they can vote and be elected for public office, they are banned from participating in certain activities and professions. They are also often subject to domestic violence without recourse.
Despite Iran having universal suffrage since 1980, the governing structure contains legal obstacles to reform as there is a concentration of power within the leading politicians. With overlapping spheres of power, the Supreme Leader and the Guardian Council can use approbatory supervision to ban candidates from elections as well as veto reform-orientated policies.
Public discontent with ineffective governance and a high unemployment rate has resulted in increased citizen participation in political processes and political parties. Student leaders and women activists, often jailed for their outspoken positions on social and political issues, continue to call for greater personal liberties and a change in leadership. New media outlets and the internet provide an avenue to strengthen civil society groups and popularize the principles of democracy.
Supporting Democratic Initiatives
Since 2005, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has sought to provide reform-minded Iranians with resources and opportunities to share experiences of democratic initiatives.
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