The world has been drawn to Iran for some time now and most definitely as of late with concerns to the 5+1 nuclear talks with Iran (UN Security Council's permanent five members- China, Russia, France, United States and Great Britain- plus Germany).
However, one area that does have and will have a major impact on this, that is seldom discussed, is the upcoming Iranian presidential elections, taking place in June 2009.
But before I go into this, let's take a quick step back and briefly review a condensed version of the structure of government in Iran, which is extremely confusing and made very misleading by mainstream media.
Iran was declared an Islamic republic in 1979 after the revolution that removed the oppressive shah from power (whom the United States put into power despite Iran's attempts at democracy and liberalization). Although Iran formed a theocratic system of government in 1979, it was still created on a parliamentary base.
First, there is the head of state, which in most systems of government would denote a figure head with little power (take the Queen of Great Britain for an example). However, Iran's head of state, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, holds the supreme power in Iran, and sets the country's domestic and foreign policies. Although not directly elected, the Supreme Leader is chosen from among the Assembly of Experts, which is elected by the people of Iran.
The powers of the Supreme Leader are vast and encompass virtually all areas of Iranian government. Three main powers I wish to point out include commander-in-chief of the armed forces (he is the only one who can declare war); the power to appoint members of the judiciary and Council of Guardians, which is the body that oversees Parliament; and determines whether or not the laws passed are compatible with Islamic law.
Second, there is the head of government, which in most systems of government would signify the one who makes key policy decisions. The current Iranian head of government, President Ahmadinejad, is the face the media paints on Iran. However, despite his high public profile, the presidential powers in Iran are severely limited by the constitution, mainly speaking of the Supreme Leader.
The Iranian president is directly elected by the people of Iran and can hold two consecutive terms of four years, as well as another nonconsecutive term, and his powers mainly deal with the economic policies and participation on the Supreme Security Council, which preserves the national sovereignty of Iran. But keep in mind the Supreme Leader still oversees these powers, and has the "final say," so to speak.
Third, the Iranian parliament is directly elected by the people, and is unicameral, meaning one chamber. The Parliament formulates legislation, although supervised by the Council of Guardians (six of the 12 members are appointed by the Supreme Leader), which can refer legislation back to Parliament for revision if it is determined to be non-compatible with Islamic law.
So why even talk about the Iranian presidential elections then if the Supreme Leader is the force in the background?
Already, the Supreme Leader has given his backing to current President Ahmadinejad, which in itself gives a portion of the power to the president. What I mean by this is the Supreme Leader is, in a way, saying he agrees with the president's current policy direction and stands by that policy direction.
Another point I wish to discuss is the reformist candidate, which speaks of the chance of reform within the Iranian constitution. Without a possibility for reform of government in the constitution, there would be no opposition in the government's party system.
Yes, I contend Iran is fairly closed compared to most systems of government around the world. However, governments must evolve alongside its society. Change in government cannot happen if the society cannot support such change.
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