Iran part 2: Governing Institutions

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/iran_power/html/parliament.stm for more detail

I. Leading Institutions  (constitution)

Dual Executive 

        A. Supreme Leader

                1. Chosen by Assembly of Religious Experts
                2. Khomeini followed by ALI KHAMENEI
                3. Numerous functions
                        a. Link and mediator between religious order and state
                        b. Sets political guidelines, supervises policy implementation
                        c. Can eliminate certain candidates and dismiss President
                        d. Commander in chief - appoints commanders and joint chiefs, defense minister, created
                             scores of political "commissars" (officially "chaplains) to ensure purity of officers 
                        e. Nominates/removes the "Chief Judge," prosecutor, judges in revolutionary tribunals
                            (confirmation by Majles)
                        f.  Guardian Council - nominates 1/2 of them
                        g. Appoints preachers of main mosques, television heads, heads of religious foundations
                        
        B. President

            1. Main functions

                a. "Chief executive"
                b.  Elected by voters for four years, 2 terms max.- elections have 2 rounds if no majority in 1st round
                c.  Must be "pious and faithful to Islam"
                d.  Chooses Prime Minister, proposes legislation to Majles
                    (this position ended in 1989, replaced by "1st Vice President - diminishes power of Majles)
                e.  Conducts domestic and foreign policy, signs treaties, laws and agreements
                f.  Chairs the National Security Council which is responsible for defense
                g. Selects the Cabinet
                h.  Selects Vice Presidents
                i.  Appoints most senior officials such as governors, mayors, ambassadors and
                    heads of large state enterprises - "unitary" centralized regime

            2. Presides over government bureaucracy

                a. nearly doubled since time of SHAH to create "jobs" for unemployed
                b. clerics still predominate in justice, police, and all culturally oriented ministries
                    (Culture, Islamic Guidance, Intelligence...).

            3. Semi-public institutions

                a. Foundation for the Oppressed and others controlled by clerics,
                    operate like huge holding companies - patronage (see
                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mostazafen_Foundation_of_Islamic_Revolution)
                b. Control up to 20% of economy

Complex Legislative Branch

          A. Assembly of Religious Experts

                1. Like an "upper house" composed of clerics (86)
                2. Elected by voters
                3. Deal with selection/removal of Supreme Leader

           B.  Guardian Council

                1. Partly appointed by Supreme Leader, partly by Majles
                   (but latter must choose from list supplied by Chief Judge)
                2. Can veto parliament bills considered "against Islam"

            C. Expediency Council

                1. Initially set up by Khomeini to resolve differences between Guardian Council and Majles
                2. Composed initially of President, Chief Judge, speaker, 6 jurists from Guardian Council,
                    but expanded by Khamenei to 26 members
                3. Now in Constitution by amendment, it holds secret meetings and has expanded its prerogatives to
                     include making new laws and thus competes with the Majles itself.
                4. Conflicts with the Majles are inevitable!

            D. Majles

              1. Elected

                a. 270 deputies, elected every 4 years by secret ballot
                b. Voters - age minimum - 15, includes women

              2. Functions

                a. Passes statues (subject to veto by Guardian Council and okay by Supreme Leader)
                b. Interprets legislation
                c. Chooses 6 of 12 on Guardian Council
                d. Can investigate (and remove) Cabinet members and govt. executive branch
                e.  Vote of No Confidence - for Cabinet only, not President
                f.  Must pass Govt. budgets

Political Parties

        A. All parties must be approved by Interior Ministry - by 1999 only Khatami's "Servants of
                Reconstruction" had received approval
                1. In 2000 election, the Islamic Iran Participation Front close to Khatami was successful (but his is
                    the most centrist of the coalition he heads, which also includes the Association of Combatant
                    Clerics, the Workers' Union, the Organisation of Mujahedeen of Islamic
                    Revolution, the main student organization and the Servants of Construction Party.

            B. There are many clandestine or "waiting to be approved" parties, but most secular parties such as the
                  Mojahedin and Fedayin were crushed during the 1980s

            C. Candidates are divided into various factions:

                    1. Conservatives - favor market economics
                          a. Divided between cultural traditionalists and progressives
                          b. Divided on the role of foreign capital and openning to the West generally
                    2. "Progressives" (Radicals) - favor statist economics, equality - tied more to Khomeini period
                    3.  After end of war with Iraq, Conservatives have become dominant - less talk of equality

                                  Election Results: 1996/2000

For results in 2004 elections see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Majlis_election,_2004

Islamic State Corporatism?

          A. During 1980s, private interest groups banned unless accepting legitimacy of Islamic Republic
          B. Now those allowed are "licensed" by the regime and are mostly controlled by clerics
           C. Include "Radical" entities such as Islamic Association of Students, I.A. of Teachers, Islamic Women's Association and Workers' House.
          D.  Conservatives include - chambers of commerce, bazaar guilds
          E.   Interest groups have limited autonomy - e.g., no independent trade unions.
          F.  Divisions internal to clergy result in competing groups of state controlled/licensed interest groups

The Political Future

        A.  Khatami - liberal voice tries to change institutions, reducing power of clerics, increasing role of
              Majles, opening to West

               ( The reformers were kept out of the 2004 Presidential elections: Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmedinejad wins)
            Term limits prevented outgoing President Khatami from running again anyway

        B.  Reformers Opposed by Supreme Leader Khanenei, Guardian Council who carried out legal and physical assault on Khatami
               supporters
        C.  Khatami - could not succeed without massive political endorsement from public - but limits on
              candidates by Guardian Council have made any such endorsement very hard to obtain.

                1. Elections 2000 - a family affair
                2. Who's Who in Iran - 2000 elections
                3.  Role of the bazaaris - the social base of jurist's guardianship
                4.  Overview of who is in power in government
                5.  The 2004 Elections - analysis and future scenarios