Iranian Linkage Institutions
Linkage Institutions
• Political Parties
– Growth in number of parties allowed by govt.
• Elections
– Regular and competitive
• Interest Groups
– Greater acceptance of nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs)
• Mass Media
– Has been liberalized, fewer restrictions
Political Parties
• Constitution legalized political parties, but they were not allowed
until Muhammad Khatami’s election (1997)
• The Iranian Militant Clerics Society – left wing reform party led by
Muhammad Khatami.
– Khatami president from 1997-2005
– Several prominent politicians belong to this party including former Majlis
speaker, and a vice-president
– Candidate in 2005, Mehdi Karroubi, came in third
• The Islamic Iran Participation Front – reformist party led by
Khatami’s brother, Muhammad Reza Khatami
– Founded in 1998, motto “Iran for all Iranians”
– Did well in 2000 Majlis elections
– Guardian Council barred many members from running in 2004 so
membership declined
Political Parties II
• Executives of Construction Party – founded by
several former cabinet members of President Akbar
Hashemi Rafsanjani
– Important supporter of Rafsanjani and his political platform
– Rafsanjani lost election runoff to Ahmadinejad by a large margin
• The Islamic Society of Engineers – member of the
conservative alliance, party of current president
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who secured office in
presidential election of 2005
– The “society” however did not support Ahmadinejad in the
election, their candidate was Ali Larijani, who lost in first round
Reformist Parties
• Khordad Front (Alliance between Iranian Militant Clerics Society &
Islamic Iran Participation Front) – the alliance helped win
reelection for Khatami in 2000.
• The Second Khordad Front did not survive in 2004
elections as Guardian Council banned many reformist
candidates from Majlis elections
• Liberation Movement – Moderate party, party founded
by Mehdi Bazargan (Khomeini’s PM), in 1961 it was
banned in 2002 as subversive organization
• National Front – headed by Mossadeq in 1950, it was
banned in late 1980s
•
Exile parties – Mojahedin (guerrilla group fought the shah); Fedayin (Marxist
guerrillas modeled after Che Guevara); Tudeh (communist party)
Interest Groups
• It is difficult to distinguish between parties and
interest groups in Iran
• Most exile parties have members in Iran that
work for their benefit
• Interest Groups
– Islamic Association of Women
– Green Coalition
– Workers’ House
• Interest group for factory workers, have a political party as
well, Islamic Labor Party
• Hold a May Day rally every year, turned into protest in 1999
against conservative policies to water-down labor laws
Mass Media
• During and shortly after revolution 27 newspapers in
total were shut down
• In 1981 Majlis passed law making it illegal to use “pen
and speech” against the government
• Some restrictions have been lifted as media has
experience some liberalization
– Rafsanjani government allowed for debate in press on
some controversial issues
– Khatami administration issued permits to new
publications in attempt to establish independent press
– Many newspapers and magazines privately owned
• Radio & TV are government-run, Islamic Republic of
Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)