While the Majlis is institutionally separate from the Guardians’ Council, an appointed body of 12 Islamic jurists, the Council plays a large role in the parliament’s elections and its legislative role. [20] It updated the numbers for 241 decided seats as 191 won by conservatives, plus 34 and 16 for independents and reformists respectively. The new speaker of Iran's Parliament will likely be former Tehran Mayor and former police chief Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who will replace the current holder of the position Ali Larijani. [22], Fatemeh Rahbar and Mohammad Ali Ramazani Dastak died due to COVID-19 before they could take office. "Moderates and conservatives" were mostly rejected by the Council and "hardliners" approved (according to Parisa Hefzi);[4] while another observer believed some of the rejected were corrupt and others lacking sufficient loyalty to the regime. At stake in this election: 290 seats in the Majles-e Shoraye Eslami (Islamic Consultative Assembly) Description of electoral system: In the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles-e Shoraye Eslam) 290 members are directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by a two-round vote, with members serving 4-year terms. The new session of parliament will begin in May. In Tehran, conservatives won all 30 seats. The 11th round of parliamentary elections in Iran will be held on February 21, 2020, with 290 seats to be filled for a four-year term through a nationwide vote. 83 conservativ… Mostafa Mir Salim, the head of the conservative Islamic Coalition Party, came in second from Tehran. Turnout was estimated to be the lowest since the 1979 revolution, hovering only slightly over 42% nationally. 0. Be a practicing Muslim (unless running to represent one of the religious minorities in Iran); Be in good health, and between the ages of 30 and 75. In single-member constituencies candidates had to receive at least 25% of the vote in the first round to be elected; in cases where no candidate passed the threshold, a second round is held between the top two candidates. [14], Coalition Council of Islamic Revolution Forces, Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran, Society of Devotees of the Islamic Revolution, Society of Pathseekers of the Islamic Revolution, Iranian legislative election, 2020 (Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr), "Iran announces low poll turnout, blames coronavirus 'propaganda, "Parliamentary Elections Set for Feb. 2020", "Rouhani urges Iran MPs to 'cooperate' as parliament opens", "Iran starts election campaign with thousands barred from standing", "Iran's parliament: What you need to know", "Mired In Corruption, Iranian Neo-Cons Eye 2020 Parliamentary Elections", "Iran's 2020 Parliamentary Elections: Lower Participation and Competition, but Higher Levels of Irregularities", "Iran Majles Election Analytics (February 2020)", "With election rivals barred, Iran's hard-liners resort to infighting", "Prominent Activist In Prison Calls On Iranians To Boycott February Elections", "The Iranian regime risks exacerbating the outbreak of covid-19", "Iranians to Protest Coming Polls by Not Voting", "Iranian communists join mass boycott of 'sham' Iranian elections", "Iran Lawmaker Alleges Middlemen Take Bribes To Help Approval of Candidates", "Iran's Former Anti-Narcotics Chief Says 'Dirty Money' Influences Elections", "Iran's Conservatives Win Elections After Record-Low Turnout, Disqualifications", "Conservatives ahead as Iran poll results trickle in", "Iran: Conservatives win majority of seats in parliament", "As it happened: Coronavirus infections near 100,000 globally", "Newly elected Iranian MP dies of 'flu' amid coronavirus outbreak", "نزدیک به ۱۰ میلیون نفر در استان تهران واجد شرایط رای هستند", "Iran's Interior Ministry discloses voter turnout of provinces in parliamentary elections", "Iran conservatives prevail in polls marked by low turnout", "Iran's hardliners win election by large margin, Mehr says", "Iran elections expected to end with hardline victory for nationalists and religious conservatives", "Iran's hardliners head for sweeping election victory", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2020_Iranian_legislative_election&oldid=1012617486, Elections postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pages using collapsible list with both background and text-align in titlestyle, Articles with empty sections from March 2020, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from February 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Society of Veterans of the Islamic Revolution, National Unity and Cooperation Party of Islamic Iran. “Their media did not miss the tiniest opportunity for dissuading Iranian voters and resorting to the excuse of disease and the virus.”, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei voted in Tehran. [21] Anadolu Agency reported that out of 253 seats that were counted, 195 went to the conservatives and the reformists had 20. Iran regime’s Parliamentary Elections, in Fact is Selections by Khamenei! The influential cleric headed the ultraconservative Endurance Front of the Islamic Revolution’s list. 1. Conservatives also made gains in Yazd and Tabriz, which had been reformist strongholds. Iran's hardliners win all parliament seats in Tehran, state TV says Iran raises death toll from new virus to 8, infections to 43 One can assume that the official figures will be “enhanced” somewhat, to demonstrate that the public still believes in elections and has confidence in the regime. [15], The exiled communist Tudeh Party of Iran called for boycott of the election. A man looks on parliamentary election campaign posters in Tehran, Iran February 19, 2020. As the official with the final say in Iran, Khamenei sees isolation as the unique lifeline for saving the Islamic Republic. Iranians vote in parliamentary election, hardliners set to cement grip. He was culture minister from 1994 to 1997. On April 17, a second round will be held to decide the remaining 11 seats. But party members are not disciplined about following their leadership. Conservative and hardline factions, including candidates closely aligned with the Revolutionary Guards, won a sweeping victory in parliamentary elections held on February 21. The section on parliamentary elections contains election results and biographical data of the members of each session of the Parliament (Majles). A voter casts his ballot in the parliamentary elections in a polling station in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed Iran’s “enemies” for exaggerating the threat. Legislative elections were held in Iran on 21 February 2020, four years after the previous legislative election in 2016. But this is the rough breakdown of Iran’s 10th parliament, which was elected in 2016. The preparations for Iran ‘s February 21 parliamentary election are already under way. The parliament could press for Iran to quit the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Source: Iran Data Portal (data from the Ministry of Interior). [17], On 2 February 2020, Iranian news agency ILNA quoted Ali Hashemi, former Iran's chief of the Drug Control Agency, saying that investigations from a wealthy drug smuggler showed he has spent a lot of his dirty money on Iran's parliamentary elections. They won 221 of the 290 seats, more than doubling their presence in parliament; 83 were elected in the 2016 poll, according to Icana, the parliamentary news agency. The election also took place after months of internal protests and showdowns with the outside world. Iran elections: Hardliners set to sweep parliamentary polls. The president is elected for a four-year term by the people. [6], According to Iranian law, in order to qualify as a candidate one must:[6], A candidate will be disqualified if he/she is found to be mentally impaired, actively supporting the Shah or supporting political parties and organizations deemed illegal or been charged with anti-government activity, converted to another faith or has otherwise renounced the Islamic faith, have been found guilty of corruption, treason, fraud, bribery, is an addict or trafficker or have been found guilty of violating Sharia law. Iran has seen the lowest turnout in a parliamentary election since the 1979 revolution, with 42.6% of eligible voters casting their ballots. Parliamentary elections in Iran have become a consistent predictor of relations between the state and the society. [7][8] Reformists were described as having no compromise for their strategy. In the 2016 election, a bloc of reformists, centrists and moderate conservatives won 41 percent of parliamentary seats. [clarification needed][9], The Iranian opposition urged their fellow citizens not to vote in the elections, which they describe as a "sham", calling on them to instead work to overthrow the regime. He won more than 1.2 million votes, more than any other candidate in the capital. Tehran has the largest share of parliamentary seats of any of the 31 provincial blocs. The regime, which cites turnout as a reflection of public support, downplayed the low turnout. 1980 Parliamentary Election 1984 Parliamentary Election [19], Fars News Agency published unofficial preliminary tallies, reporting that out of 183 decided seats the conservatives won 135 while the independents were at 28 and the reformists only had 20. [27][28] Reasons for the hardliner victory included a continuing poor domestic economic situation under the reformists, the withdrawal of the US from the JCPOA nuclear deal and the re-imposition of US sanctions thereafter (also partially contributing to the poor economic situation), the absence of a unified reformist strategy and low number of reformist candidates due to disqualification by the Guardian Council, public disillusionment as a result of the 2019–20 protests and the downing of a Ukrainian airliner as well as a lack of government transparency, and the recent killing of general Qasem Soleimani. A prominent human rights activist, Narges Mohammadi, has made an appeal to voters from Evin prison to boycott the elections. The party is aligned with hardline cleric Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi. The Iranian conservatives will dominate the country’s new parliament following an election marked by the lowest voter turnout in decades, according to state media.Two days after the polls closed, the interior ministry results published on February 23 by state media said conservative candidates had secured at least 219 seats in the 290-strong parliament, also known as the Majlis. pic.twitter.com/4oSc0vBvlF. The outcome in the capital has long been viewed a bellwether for elite sentiment in Iran, according to a report by Harvard’s Belfer Center. The powerful Guardian Council – an unelected panel of 12 Islamic jurists and scholars – disqualified 7,296 candidates out of the more than 14,500 who registered to run. Iran’s Majlis—officially the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis-e shoura-ye eslami), and in Western terms a popularly elected parliament—was established in the wake of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Qalibaf became a strong contender for the speakership. The Iranian Parliament is called “the Islamic Consultative Assembly” or “Majlis.”. Both ran unsuccessful campaigns for the presidency in 2017. In Iran’s obtuse political system, it’s hard to precisely categorize any politician; some labels are disputed. [3], Candidates had to be approved by the Guardian Council, and of the 14,000 applying to run for the Islamic Consultative Assembly legislature, 6,850 were rejected,[4] including 90 current members of the Assembly (who were approved to run in the last election). In some small cities, Hashemi stated, parliamentary seats can be bought for about US$300,000. The turnout was only 42.6 percent, the lowest since the 1979 revolution. Rouhani’s allies – a loose group of reformists, centrists and moderate conservatives – formed the largest blocin the outgoing parliament. [6] Also, candidates must be literate; candidates cannot have played a role in the pre-1979 government, be large landowners, drug addicts or have convictions relating to actions against the state or apostasy. The new parliament may also strengthen the hand of the Revolutionary Guards, the most powerful branch of Iran’s military and important economic player. Qalibaf headed the list of candidates from the Coalition Council of the Islamic Revolution Forces. This page was last edited on 17 March 2021, at 11:05. In multi-member constituencies, voters cast as many votes as there are seats available; if not all seats are filled by candidates with at least 25% of the vote, a second round is held with twice the number of candidates as there are seats to be filled (or all the original candidates if there are fewer than double the number of seats). February 17, 2020. in Latest Articles. The Parliament or Islamic Consultative Assembly has 290 members, elected for a four-year term in multi- and single-seat constituencies. Iranian women queue to vote in the parliamentary elections in a polling station on Feb. 21, 2020 in Tehran, Iran. Iran has 82 national political parties and 34 provincial parties. Shortly before the 2020 election, Qalibaf’s bloc formed a joint list with Agha Tehrani’s list. Iranians began voting for a new parliament Friday, with turnout seen as a key measure of support for Iran's leadership as sanctions weigh on the economy and isolate the country diplomatically. Iranians go to the polls on February 21, 2020 to vote for all 290 seats in the unicameral Majles. Khamenei stated the low turnout was due to "negative propaganda" about the coronavirus, spread by Iran's enemies. In the 2016 election, reformists and centrists won 121 seats, six times more than in 2020. [6] The 285 directly elected seats were elected from 196 single and multi-member constituencies. The new parliament is likely to further weaken President Hassan Rouhani, who is already a lame duck. Some 75 incumbents, mostly moderates and reformists were barred. The parliamentary by-elections will be held in six electoral districts of Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat, Eslamshahr and Pardis in Tehran province, Tafresh, Ashtian and Farahan in Markazi province, Bahar and Kabodar-Ahang in Hamedan province, Gachsaran and Basht in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh in Gilan Province and Mianeh in East Azarbaijan province. The election came just days after the outbreak of the first cases of the new coronavirus in Iran. Iran has been holding elections since the founding of the mullahs’ regime following the hijacking of the 1979 anti-monarchical revolution. Many Iranians were also reportedly apathetic after the disqualification of thousands of candidates, mostly reformists. The 290 members of the Majlis represent I… Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the former mayor of Tehran and former commander of the Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force, took first place in the race for Tehran. Voters have to write down the names of individual candidates. Initial estimates said over 220 out of the 290 seats will be held by hardliners. Moderates set for losses in Iranian parliamentary election 02:34 (CNN) On Friday, Iranians will vote in parliamentary elections at a time of turmoil at … As a result, the election was considered to be a contest between conservatives such as former Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who describes himself as a "technocrat," and ultra-conservatives opposed to the nuclear deal. The new parliament is likely to further weaken President Hassan Rouhani, who is already a lame duck. Iran’s presidential election is set for 18 June 2021. Iranians began voting for a new parliament Friday, with turnout seen as a key measure of support for Iran's leadership as sanctions weigh on the economy and isolate the country diplomatically. Iran is holding its parliamentary elections Friday, and one thing seems all but certain: It will be a major victory for the country’s conservative hard-liners. Rouhani was deputy speaker of the fourth and fifth terms of the Parliament of Iran and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 1989 to 2005. [5], The 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly consists of 285 directly elected members and five seats reserved for the Zoroastrians, Jews, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians and Armenians (one for Armenians in the north of Iran and one for Armenians in the south). A parliamentary election in Iran starting Feb. 1 is expected to help hard-line factions allied with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei tighten their grip on power. Many of the new lawmakers opposed the 2015 nuclear deal, one of Rouhani’s main initiatives. The campaign lasted only for a week. The Islamic Consultative Assembly (Persian: مجلس شورای اسلامی ‎, romanized: Majles-e Showrā-ye Eslāmī), also called the Iranian Parliament, the Iranian Majles (Arabicised spelling Majlis), is the national legislative body of Iran.The Parliament currently has 290 representatives, changed from the previous 272 seats since the 18 February 2000 election. In Iran’s obtuse political system, it’s hard to precisely categorize any politician; some labels are disputed. Government ministers, members of the Guardian Council and High Judicial Council are banned from running for office, as is the Head of the Administrative Court of Justice, the Head of General Inspection, some civil servants and religious leaders and any member of the armed forces. The vetting prevented reformists from fielding candidates for 230 out of parliament’s 290 seats. Iranian candidates often run in loose coalitions rather than formal parties, mainly because of the difficulty in building name recognition and momentum in a short time. [2] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, the second round, to elect eleven seats, was postponed until 11 September 2020. Although many candidates campaign as part of a party or coalition list, the ballots do not have lists. [29][30] In comparison, national turnout in 2016 was 62%. [14], A poll by the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) indicated that over 44 percent of the respondents across Tehran province say they will definitely not take part in elections, with only 21 percent saying they definitely will.