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)