Iran
Landmark election in Iran
On 26. February choose the Iranians a new Parliament and a new expert advice. It is the first choice after the Atomabkommen and an important test of the mood concerning President Rohani. The most important questions in the Overview.
Never was the rush on a Abgeordnetenposten in Iran so great as it was before this election. More than 12,000 people wanted to stand as a candidate for the Iranian Parliament to register. But only about half of them were approved. Now, wrestling is still about 6,200 candidates for the 290 seats in the Madschlis. But not only the Parliament is re-elected, also the new composition of the so-called “Council of experts” to be the nearly 60 million Iranians to vote.
Which groups fight for Power?
In Iran there is no party system in the Western sense. Instead, there are different groups, which, roughly speaking, three major trends can be: “Conservative”, “hardliners” and “reformers”.
- The Conservatives hold themselves to the values of the Revolution and are absolutely regimetreu. The more moderate part of the Conservative but is open to controlled relations with the West and limited domestic reforms. The Ultra-Conservatives, however, are the hard-liners closer.
- The hardliners see in the West, the imperialist enemy and want a pure Islamic society away from all the Western.
- The reformers , however, want to the outside and in terms of good relations with the West. Also inside – and cultural policies, as well as socially, they demand more freedoms.
The Transitions between the three currents, however, are fluent. And there’s also no Fraktionsbindung, can be a candidate depending on the issue, completely different political positions on unite. Despite these adversities the parliamentary elections as an important test of the mood concerning the policy of the incumbent President Rohani, to the reformers expected.
Who is the favorite in the parliamentary elections?
290 members includes the Madschlis – the Iranian Parliament
In the past twelve years, dominated by a coalition of Conservatives and hardliners in the Parliament. After the Atomabkommen and particularly after the lifting of economic sanctions but also the reformers around President Hassan Rohani is a realistic chance for a victory. These are even increased by the fact that the reformers themselves with a part of the more moderate Conservatives work together on an electoral list put let. On the other hand, could be the output massively by the amount of voter turnout can be influenced. The reformers feared that a low turnout of the hard-liners in the hands could play. Many Iranians are politically disinterested, many others remain because of the complex election rules the elections far away.
What Power has the house of representatives at all?
As in Western democracies is also in Iran the Parliament on paper, the legislative Institution. De facto is subject to his work, however, serious limitations. Because all initiatives will first be of a so-called “guardian Council” is checked with the Islamic legal Tradition are compatible. Should this not be the case, the guardian Council of the proposal, reject it. The guardian Council, which is composed of six clerics and six jurists, will also check the Suitability of the candidates for the parliamentary elections set up want. Before the present elections, the guardian Council, around 6000 candidates for admission to choice is denied.
The Council makes no final decisions on whether a law was actually implemented or not. According to the Constitution, the Supreme religious leaders – currently, this is the 76-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – the final word in all political matters, both in the government as well as in the Parliament or in the judiciary. He decides, ultimately, which laws are in force.
What is the expert advice?
Hassan Khomeini wanted to run and was from the guardian Council rejected
Not only the Parliament is elected, the Iranians also agree on the new composition of the Council of experts. The expert is one of the highest religious constitutional bodies. It consists of 88 clergy, whose task it is, the work of the Supreme leader to monitor. As the Parliament also examines, first, the guardian Council all candidates for their “political and social Suitability” and can, if necessary, of the choice to exclude. Special attention of the guardian Council, as he is the beginning of the year Hassan Khomeini from the choice to the expert advice, counsel, a Pro-reform grandson of the Republikgründers Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Why is the choice for expert advice, this Time particularly important?
The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The expert panel not only monitors the work of the Supreme leader, he can use it in case of illness or disregard of its duties, theoretically, also have his office release and then, as well as in the event of death, the task of a successor to choose and lifetime. The expert will only every eight years to be re-elected. The current Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is already 76 years old, and they also are persistent rumors about an advanced cancer. Therefore, it is quite possible that the new expert advice is also about the renewal of the main office of the Islamic Republic will decide. To this extent should the new composition of the Council of experts is already at least tendencies also show that the political orientation of the new Supreme leader of the revolution and thus also the entire course of the Islamic Republic of Iran will have, possibly for decades to come.
