3rd Period Iran Notes
4/1/09


Political Agenda
-shut down private media
-arrested people
- but gave free access to media

Political Parties
-Islamic Republican Party (1979-1987)
-Parties legalized in 1998
-Resemo
-Islamic Iran Praticipation front-largest reform party (1997)
-servants of Construction Party-Tecnhocrats
-The Reformists-Assembly of the combatant clerics
-Assembly of the Followers-Imans line
-Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution organization
-Islamic society of engineers-conservative
-Combatant clergy organization
-Society for militant clergy
-Militant opposition severely handled
Elections
-competitive, voters choose form set picket from Guardian Council


Constitution
-After Rev. Sharia restored with modern conditions (1979)
-Islamic Law was state law (1979)
-President-from shi'ite sect/well known in politics
-disenfranchises many minorities
-Relgious minorities have 5 seats in parliament


Executive Branch
-President elected on universal suffrage on votes cast in a run-off system
-4 year term of office, 2 term limit
-president chooses cabinet, presents legislations, and upholds constitution and coordinates gov't decisions
-Irianian president is weaker than Russia or Nigeria
Supreme Leader-Most powerful political figure-(Islam) has authority to dismiss or overrule president, appoints head of judiciary and 1/2 of Guardian Council, and appoints highest military - all in the name of upholding the Islamic state
Supreme leader appointed by 'Assembly of Experts' and serves for life
1989- qualification for supreme leader changed from the higest shi'ite cleric to established member of clergy (most charismatic)
Council of Guardians-12 member council who has veto power, along with Supreme leader, over anything against Islam
-kinda like the higest house of British parliament
another power of the Guardian Council- who can run in local, presidential, and religious elections
-Council is made up of 6 clerical mebers picked byt he supremem leader and 6 lawyers who are reccommended by judiciary and are subject to approval of parliament and serves 6 year term
-6 lawyers vote mainily on question of constiutionality and consider 'Islamic-ness'
-Assembly of Religious Experts- 86 males who choose the supreme leader and watch his performance
-Popularly elected, but ismostly clerics because they have to pass test on religious knowledge