Politics in Iran

1. Politics in Iran

2. Overview: The Big Picture • System of Government: Theocracy (Presidential) • Distribution of Power: Unitary System • Electoral System: SMDP, but double ballot • Constitution: Constitution of 1979 • Legislature: Unicameral—Majles • Current Head of State: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Supreme Leader • Head of Government: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad • Current Ruling Party: “conservatives” • Major Political Parties: “conservatives”, “pragmatists”, and “radicals”

3. Institutions of the Islamic Republic • Supreme Leader • Guardian Council • Expediency Council • Assembly of Religious Experts • President • Parliament—Majles • Judiciary • The Constitution—Undemocratic

4. Institutions of the Iranian RepublicDualism: Multiple Power Centers • Tension: Between Islam and practical governance • Two types of institutions coexist: • Appointed and Elected • Dualism reflects the attempted synthesis between divine and popular sovereignty institutions Iran has 3,000 female ninja assassins…great

5. Jurist Guardianship • Supreme Leader, Guardian Council, The Assembly of Religious Experts, and the Expediency Council DO NOT fit into three branch government. • All have broad executive, legislative, and judicial powers that allow them to supersede all other positions and bodies. • Jurist Guardianship: Ayatollah Khomeini’s overarching principle that they have all encompassing authority over the whole community based on their ability to understand the shari'a and their commitment to champion the rights of the people.

6. The Supreme Leader • Highest authority in the Islamic Republic • Seen as iman of entire community • Represents pinnacle of theocratic principles of the state. • Ayatollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei. • Faqih: the leading Islamic jurist to interpret the meaning of religious documents and shari'a law. • Links three branches of government together, may mediate among them, and is charged with “determining the interests of Islam”

7. The Supreme Leader • Constitution gives Supreme Leader many powers: • Elimination of presidential candidates • Dismissal of president • Command of armed forces • Declaration of war and peace • Appointment and removal of major administrators and judges • Nomination of six members of Guardian Council • Appointment of many non-governmental directors, such as the national radio-television network and semi-public foundations • Formally, is head of state (president is head of government), but the Supreme Leader holds ultimate power

8. The Guardian Council • Represents theocratic principles • Consists of twelve MALE clerics • Six appointed by Supreme Leader • Six nominated by the chief judge (judiciary) and approved by Majles • Purpose: To ensure that all bills passed by Majles conform to shari'a law. • Has power to decide who can compete in elections. • 2004 and 2005 disqualified 1000 of candidates for both the Majles and the presidential elections. • Along with Supreme Leader, Guardian Council exercises principle of jurist guardianship, making sure that democratic bodies adhere to Islamic beliefs and laws.

9. Assembly of Religious Experts • 86 member all male assembly directly elected every 10 years by people, but whose candidates are approved of by Guardian Council • Given the responsibility of broad constitutional interpretation—along with Supreme Leader and Guardian Council • Main Function: To select Supreme Leader and has power to remove Supreme Leader (after 1989 reforms). • In theory, Assembly of Religious Experts had power over the Supreme Leader, but since the Assembly is chosen by the Guardian Council and the Guardian Council is chosen by the Supreme Leader, the real power always rests with the Supreme Leader.

10. The Expediency Council • A 32 member “council for determination of what is in the interest of the regime” • Purpose: Originally designed to solve disputes between Majles and Guardian Council. Now it has expanded powers. • Example: Now it can originate its own legislation • Began as council of 13 clerics, now not all are clerics but they are appointed by Supreme Leader • Collectively, they represent the most powerful men in Iran.

11. The President • Directly elected by Iranian citizens every four years. • Limited to two consecutive terms in office, though may re-run. • Must be pious Shia who upholds Islamic principles.

12. The President • President holds the following powers: • Devising the budget • Supervising economic matters • Proposing legislation to the Majles • Executing policies • Signing of treaties, laws, and agreements • Chairing the National Security Council • Selecting vice presidents and cabinet members • Appointing provincial governors, town mayors, and ambassadors • Five of six presidents have been clerics • The cabinet conducts the real day-to-day work over governance.

13. The Majles • Unicameral, the Majles, comprised of 290 members directly elected through SMDP. • Must be Muslims but the Constitution provides for five members of Parliament to represent Christians (3), Jews (one) and Zoroastrians (one) • All its bills are subject to the veto of the Council of Guardians—greatly limits power. • Predates Iranian Revolution—first created by Constitution of 1906

14. The Majles • Some of the powers of the Majles: • Enacting or changing laws (with approval of Guardian Council • Interpreting legislation, as long as they don’t contradict the judicial authorities • Appointing six of the twelve members of Guardian Council, chosen from a list drawn up by the chief judge (judiciary) • Investigating the cabinet ministries and public complaints against the executive and judiciary • Removing cabinet members, but not the president • Approving the budget, cabinet appointments, treaties, and loans

15. The Judiciary • Judicial Review does not exist in Iran • Ultimate legal authority resides in shari’a NOT constitution. • Run by Chief Justice who is appointed by Supreme Leader and who must be a cleric. • Under Chief Justice is Supreme Court, highest court in the land. • All judges on Supreme Court must be clerics because judicial system is based on shari'a law. • Two important things to remember about judiciary: • Distinction between two types of law: shari'a and qanun • The of principle of jurist guardianship means that the Supreme Leader, the Guardian Council, and the Assembly of Religious Experts have the final say regarding interpretation of law.

16. The Judiciary • Shari’a Law • Islamic law that comes directly from the time of Muhammad. • Foundation of all Islamic civilization—authority goes beyond Iran’s borders. • Muslims believe it to be the essence of Muhammad himself. • Purpose: Unifying Islamic morals and values • Foundation of Iran: Sharia law supersedes all other law, thus is foundation of Iranian law. • Jurist Guardianship is a reflection of shari'a law—Supreme Leader being the key interpreter

17. The Judiciary • Qanun law • No sacred basis—unlike shari’a law • Instead is a body of statues made by legislative bodies inside Iran • In Iran, qanun are passed by the Majles. • Qanun is law made by the people’s elected representatives. • Qanun must in no way contradict shari’a law. • So, it becomes the responsibility of the Majles to pass responsible qanun, but an important job of the Guardian Council (and ultimately the Supreme Leader) is to review legislative work of Majles and apply the interpretation of shari’a to all laws passed.

18. Background: Islamic Republic of Iran • World’s only theocracy • A form of government in which ideally all laws are grounded in religion and express the will of God, and the clergy exercises supreme power • While Islamic law has always been applied to varying degrees in Muslim states, it has almost always been complemented by some sort of nonreligious customary law. • Genuine theocracies have been very rare. • Iran’s current theocratic regime constitutes a break with Muslim tradition.

19. Background: Islamic Republic of Iran • Established in 1979 • A few months after a popular revolution uniting poor and middle-class, religious and secular people overthrew Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlavi – the last ruler of the country’s ancient monarchy. • Ruholla Khomeini – charismatic clerical leader who had authored a blueprint for theoretic government in the 1970s, led the 1979 revolution • Opposed democracy on religious grounds • Sovereignty belongs to God alone • Divine law, know as the shari’a, as interpreted and applied by the ulema (religious scholars in the Muslim world) takes precedence over laws made by human legislators.

20. Historical Legacy • Twelver Shiism • Split between Sunnis (90% of all Muslims) and the Shiites came about after the death of the founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad • Shiites believed that descendants of the Prophet could be the only rightful successors/leaders-- Imams. • Third Imam, Husayn, whose martyrdom in 680 C.E. symbolizes for Shiites for the struggle of the just against the unjust. • Most Shiites believe the Twelfth Imam was the last of the Imam, thus their name. • Believe he is alive and will come forth and show himself to establish a just rule at the end of time • He is a messiah-like figure. • Creates a dilemma for Shiite followers—how do you rule?

21. Historical Legacy:Iran Iraq War • Iran-Iraq War: 1980-1988 • The perfect thing for Ayatollah Khomeini • War = National Unity • Provoked by Saddam Hussein of Iraq • Allowed the regime to consolidate power by calling for national unity in the face of a foreign invader • The war became a means to suppress domestic discontent • US supported Saddam and Iraq with billions of dollars of military aide!

22. Historical Legacy:Legacy of Oil Wealth: A Rentier State • KEY POINT: • Rentier state = non-responsiveness to needs of citizens • Iran = Rentier State • Therefore, Iran = non-responsive to needs of citizens • Oil as made Iran dependent on the price of oil for the bulk of its budget • Rentier State: countries that can sustain themselves independently of social pressures and powerful interest groups • Oil Curse…creates lack of broad based industrialization

23. Policy Formulation • Economic policymaking • One of the most contentious topics • Post-revolution favored state-centered approach • The late 1980s liberal approach: private sector and market mechanisms • Mixed results • Led to hardship and therefore faced opposition • Khatami’s efforts limited due to economic foundations’ and parastatal organizations’ autonomous and privileged access to resources and markets.

24. Policy Outcomes • Spreading progress and prosperity • Tried to help the poor…indifferent to upper middle class • State educational system astonishingly good • Science and literacy • Birth control…free and widely distributed • Health care…adequate • Roads and the provision of basic services

26. Policy Outcomes: Islamicization of Society • Alcohol consumption banned except for the non-Muslim minorities • Veiling enforced in public spaces • State committed in theory to the minimizing contact between unrelated men and women • Religious content of education is vastly expanded • Gruesome physical punishment to chastise adulterers, homosexuals, and other offenders of religious morality • Outwardly a success; but underneath the surface – bootlegging, prostitution (driven by poverty), over 2 million Iranians are drug addicts, corruption • Religious practice has become more private • Anticlericalism

27. Policy Outcomes:Foreign Policy • Under the Shah • U.S. an ally • Revolution seen on par with Russian and Chinese revolutions • Vanguards of vast revolutionary wave • 1990s “national interest” over export of the revolution, but disagreement over what is a national interest • Third Worldist • Desire to escape the hegemony of Western world • Three concentric circles against “world arrogance” (Third World, Muslim world, Shiites) • “Neither East nor West”, but more East • Main issue confronting current Iranian diplomacy is the nuclear program.

28. Political Culture • System level • Iranian nationalism/ancient Persia • Vanguard of the Islamic world’s struggle against Western domination • Recently, ethnic nationalism has become stronger among Iran’s non-Persian populations • “Right” to develop nuclear energy • Government used this issue to shore up their legitimacy.

29. Political Culture • Policy level • Oil- Iranians have tended to expect the state to provide welfare and material well-being for everybody and alleviate the gap between rich and poor. • Corruption • Suspicion of private enterprise and industry • Populism = anti-large scale economic activities