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Parliament name (generic / translated) Majles Shoraye Eslami / Islamic Parliament of Iran More photos  >>> Structure of parliament Unicameral Affiliation to the IPU Yes Affiliation date(s) 1930 -1939 1949 -1979 1981 - LEADERSHIP President Ali Ardeshir Larijani (M)  Notes Elected on 1 June 2008, re-elected on 27 May 2009, re-elected on 26 May 2010, re-elected on 25 May 2011. Secretary General Hossein Sheikholislam (M)  Notes Mr. Hossein Sheikholislam: Chief of the Speaker's Bureau and Director General of the International Department COMPOSITION Members (statutory / current number) 290 / 290 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN More statistics  >>> Women (current number) 8 (2.76%) Mode of designation directly elected 285 other 5 Notes Other: Five seats are reserved for the following minorities. Zoroastrians: 1 Jews: 1 Assyrian and Chaldean Christians: 1 Armenian Christians in the north of the country: 1 Armenian Christians in the south of the country: 1 Term 4 years Last renewal dates 14 March 2008 25 April 2008 (View details) CONTACT INFORMATION Address Majles Shoraye Eslami Baharestan Square TEHERAN (Export mailing lists) Phone (9821) 33440 236 Fax (9821) 33440 236 33440 309 E-mail hashemi110@yahoo.com IPUgroup@parliran.ir Website http://www.majlis.ir/ http://www.parliran.ir/

Parliament name (generic / translated) Majles Shoraye Eslami / Islamic Parliament of Iran Structure of parliament Unicameral LEGAL FRAMEWORK Electoral law 28 February 1984 Last amendment: 23/01/1992 Mode of designation directly elected 285 other 5 Constituencies 196 single or multi-member constituencies. Voting system Majority: Majority system in two rounds. In order to be elected, a candidate must, in his/her constituency, obtain at least one-third of the votes cast in the first round in single-member constituencies (or from one-third of voters in multi-member constituencies) and a simple majority in the second. The number of candidates who may run in the second round is restricted to those in the lead and to twice the number of seats to be filled in the constituency concerned. If the number is less than double, all remaining candidates may run. If those remaining are equal to or less than the number of unfilled seats, the second round is not held and the results of the first ballot are conclusive. Vacancies arising between general elections are filled through by-elections. No by-elections are, however, held within the last year of the legislature's term, unless the total number of filled Assembly seats falls below 200. Voting is not compulsory. Voter requirements - age: 18 years - Iranian citizenship - disqualifications: insanity CANDIDATES Eligibility Qualified electors - age: 26 to 75 years - Iranian citizenship - belief in and active obligation to Islam and the system prevailing in the country (candidates of religious minorities exempted from obligation to Islam) - pledged faithfulness to the Constitution - sufficient literacy - physical well-being - ineligibility: persons who played leading roles in strengthening the former (pre-Islamic) regime, large landowners, persons belonging to illegal groups, those convicted of action against the State or apostasy, drug addicts Incompatibilities - President of the Republic and his counsellors - Prime Minister, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and their advisers - members of the Council of Guardians - members of the High Judicial Council - Head of the Administrative Court of Justice - Head of General Inspection - certain public officials and religious leaders - members of the armed forces Candidacy requirements (data unavailable)

Parliament name (generic / translated) Majles Shoraye Eslami / Islamic Parliament of Iran Structure of parliament Unicameral BACKGROUND Dates of election / renewal (from/to) (from/to) 14 March 2008 25 April 2008 Timing and scope of renewal Elections were held for all the seats in the Islamic Consultative on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. The 2008 elections were the eighth to be held since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. In January 2007, the minimum voting age was raised from 15 to 18 years. There is no party system, and the main political forces are generally considered to be conservatives (often referred to as principle-ists or fundamentalists) and reformists. In the previous elections, held in February 2004, conservatives won over 150 seats, while reformists took 40. The remainder went to independent candidates. Conservatives uphold the principles of the Islamic Revolution and are divided into two main groups: the United Principle-ist Front (UPF) and the Broad Principle-ist Front (BPF). The UPF supports President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was elected in 2005 on the pledge to bring oil revenues to every family and tackle poverty and unemployment. The BPF had supported Mr. Ahmadinejad in 2005, but reportedly shifted its support to the former chief nuclear negotiator, Mr. Ali Ardeshir Larijani, who resigned from the post in 2007 citing differences with President Ahmadinejad. Reformists advocate press liberalization and the promotion of civil society organizations in the country. In December 2007, former President Mohammad Khatami announced that he would lead the Coalition of Reformists in the 2008 elections. This Coalition comprised the Islamic Iran Participation Front, founded by Mr. Mohammad Reza Khatami (the former president's brother), and the Organization of Mujaheddin of the Islamic Revolution and Civil Servants, led by former president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani. Nearly 7,600 citizens submitted candidacies for the 2008 elections. Around 40 per cent of these were rejected as "unsuitable" by the Guardian Council (a body of clerics and jurists whose responsibilities include ensuring compatibility between legislation and Islam). Many of the rejected candidates - including former ministers and outgoing members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly - were reportedly members of the Coalition of Reformists. In the end, around 4,600 candidates were allowed to run. Women accounted for 8 per cent of candidates, down from 10 per cent in the 2004 elections. At stake were 285 of the 290 seats in the Islamic Consultative Assembly (the remainder being reserved for religious minorities, see note). The economy and the nuclear programme took centre-stage in the campaign. Both reformists and some conservatives criticised President Ahmadinejad. Although the country's official unemployment rate was 10 per cent, many experts argued that the real figure was higher. Conservatives (in particular the UPF) argued that the government's nuclear policy was key to the Republic's defence from "all forms of foreign hegemony". Reformists accused President Ahmadinejad of mishandling ongoing negotiations on the nuclear programme and promised to establish better relations with the West. Approximately 50 per cent of the 49 million eligible voters turned out at the polls on 13 and 14 March, while only 26 per cent participated in the run-off elections of 25 April. A total of 45,000 national observers worked under the supervision of the Interior Ministry. There were no foreign observers. The Guardian Council validated the results for 205 seats (including the five reserved for religious minorities) in the first round. Another 81 candidates were elected in the run-off elections. The results for four seats (one from the first round and three from the run-off elections) were invalidated by the Guardian Council and would be decided in by-elections to be held at the same time as the 2009 presidential elections. The final results showed that conservatives had won about 200 seats. Reformists took about 50 seats and independents obtained about 40. Following the results, some independent candidates joined the conservative and parliamentary groups, bringing the total seats for conservatives to 210 and for reformists to 60. Some 20 members of parliament remain independent. In all, eight women were elected, down from 14 in the outgoing legislature. The newly elected Islamic Consultative Assembly held its first session on 27 May. On the following day, it elected Mr. Larijani as its temporary Speaker. He was confirmed as the official Speaker on 1 June. Note: Five seats are reserved for the following minorities. Zoroastrians: 1 Jews: 1 Assyrian and Chaldean Christians: 1 Armenian Christians in the north of the country: 1 Armenian Christians in the south of the country: 1 STATISTICS Voter turnout Round no 1 14 March 2008 Number of registered electors Voters Blank or invalid ballot papers Valid votes 49'000'000 24'240'269 (49.47%) 1'049'370 23'190'899 Notes Round no 2 25 April 2008 Number of registered electors Voters Blank or invalid ballot papers Valid votes 5'443'161 (26%) 196'031 5'247'130 Notes Distribution of votes Round no 1 Political group Candidates Votes % of votes Round no 2 Political group Candidates Votes % of votes Distribution of seats Round no 1 Political Group Total of seats Round no 2 Political Group Total of seats Distribution of seats according to sex Men Women Percent of women 282 8 2.76% Distribution of seats according to age Distribution of seats according to profession Comments Eight women were elected in the 2008 elections. Four seats that were vacant following the 2008 elections were filled through by-elections which were held at the same time as the presidential elections in June 2009. Male candidates won all the seats. The number of women thus remains at eight. Source: Islamic Consultative Assembly (05.05.2008, 18.08.2009)

Parliament name (generic / translated) Majles Shoraye Eslami / Islamic Parliament of Iran Structure of parliament Unicameral APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE Title Speaker of the Islamic Parliament of Iran Term - duration: 1 year (election takes place in late May) - reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death, dissolution of the Assembly Appointment - elected by all Members of the Assembly - the election is held before the official opening of the Assembly - after members' mandates have been validated and they have been sworn in Eligibility - any Member of the Assembly may be a candidate Voting system - formal vote by secret ballot - absolute majority required in the first round; simple majority in the second Procedures / results - the provisional Presiding Board presides over the Assembly during the voting - the provisional Presiding Board supervises the voting - the provisional Speaker announces the results without delay - the results cannot be challenged STATUS Status - represents the Assembly with the authorities - is an ex officio member of bodies outside Parliament - represents the Assembly in international bodies - is ex officio Chairman of executive committees - in the absence of the Speaker, the Vice-Speaker can assume his/her role and functions Board - the Presidium is regulated by the Standing Orders - consists of 11 Members with a one-year term - meets once weekly - is a genuine collegiate presidency Material facilities - allowance - official residence - official car - secretariat - domestic staff - bodyguards FUNCTIONS Organization of parliamentary business - convenes sessions - establishes and modifies the agenda - organizes the debates and sets speaking time - examines the admissibility of bills and amendments - refers texts to a committee for study - examines the admissibility of requests for setting up committees and/or committees of enquiry, proposes or decides on the setting up of such committees Chairing of public sittings - can open, adjourn and close sittings - ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders - makes announcements concerning the Assembly - takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures - establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak - establishes the order in which amendments are taken up and selects which amendments are to be debated - calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities - has the Secretaries check the quorum - authenticates the texts adopted and the records of debates - interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Assembly - has discretionary power to give the floor outside the agenda and thus organizes impromptu debates Special powers - supervises the establishment of the Assembly's budget - supervises the recruitment, assignment and promotion of staff - appoints the Clerk - organizes the services of Parliament - plays a specific role in supervising foreign affairs or defence matters - is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments - is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Chamber Speaking and voting rights, other functions - takes the floor in legislative debates - provides guidelines for interpretating or supplementing the text under discussion - takes part in voting - proposes bills or amendments - intervenes in the parliamentary oversight procedure - signs laws before transmitting them to the Head of State for enactment - must be consulted in certain circumstances (dissolution, etc.)

This page was last updated on 26 May 2011
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