A Stumble for Reformers
Photograph of poll workers in Tehran. Photo courtesy of Reuters.
On 21 Feb., Iran held elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the legislative branch of the Iranian government. The election, which had the lowest turnout since the 1979 revolution, was dominated by Conservative hardliners, according to Time.
Additionally, all 30 seats in the capital city of Tehran were won by Conservative candidates loyal to the Ayatollah.
The validity of the election was discounted by many observers, before ballots were cast, due to the fact that a vetting committee, loyal to the Iranian Ayatollah, barred over 16,000 candidates from running, most of whom were reformer candidates, as reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The election result came as a blow to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate figure in the government, and may make his legislative agenda more difficult.
Another 11 seats will be contested in a second election in April, which will determine the long-term reaction to the Rouhani government.
Former Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who leads a Conservative electoral block, formed a joint list with the ultra-conservative Paydari Front, consolidating Conservative and anti-Rouhani groups prior to the election. Mr Ghalibaf is known to be an ambitious-technocratic leader, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Many Iranians are disappointed in President Rouhani's failure to deliver on his campaign promises, such as to improve the economy and to heal the rift between environmental groups, liberal parties, and the hardliners in Parliament. The economic policies of the current administration led to inflation growing to 33.5 per cent, compounding the popular discontent with the government.
However, the largest driving force to February's result was the disintegration of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (or 'Iran Nuclear Deal') and the subsequent tensions with the United States.
A recent crackdown on opposition demonstrations in Iran has also sparked criticism of the government, both inside and outside the country.
Most Iranians have been resigned to the thought that American President Donald Trump will win a second term in office, according to the Financial Times. This feeling largely contributed to the hardliner's victory, as most felt that even a moderate politician would be unlikely to compete against Western sanctions and Iran's isolationist policies.
The other factor that delegitimised the result of the election was the turnout rate, 42.57 per cent, and uneasy mandate of the Parliament.
Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli called the low turnout rate 'quite unacceptable', and the Ayatollah blamed coronavirus 'propaganda' for people not travelling to the polls, according to Reuters.
The Islamic Consultative Assembly is responsible for passing legislation, approving the national budget, and affirming all international treaties. However, all decisions by the body are subject to approval by the Guardian Council (an appointed body) and President of Iran.
Historically, the Parliament has played a small role in foreign affairs. However, that trend appears to be changing, with their increased involvement in diplomatic and military affairs, in particular policies addressing the infamous Quds Force.
This election has helped for the hardliner bloc and the Ayatollah to consolidate their grip on national policy, which defies the reformist trend that had been playing an increasingly strong role in Iranian politics.
With Presidential elections looming in 2021 and the tense relationship between the West and Iran, the future of the region and of the international community hangs in the balance.
Sources:
Motevalli, Golnar. 'Hardliners' Victory in Iranian Elections Turns Back the Clock on Relations With the West'. TIME, Time USA, LLC., 24 Feb. 2020,
https://time.com/5789565/iran-elections-hardliners/'
Iran elections: Hardliners set to sweep parliamentary pollsIran elections: Hardliners set to sweep parliamentary polls'. BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation, 21 Feb 2020,
Ibrahim, Arwa. 'Iran conservatives prevail in polls marked by low turnout'. Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera Media Network, 23 Feb 2020,
England, Andrew and Bozorgmehr, Najmeh. 'Iranians vote in election that is expected to tighten hardliners’ grip'. Financial Times, Nikkei Inc., 21 Feb 2020,
https://www.ft.com/content/6437b0d2-5487-11ea-8841-482eed0038b1
Hafezi, Parisa. 'Iran announces low poll turnout, blames coronavirus 'propaganda''. Reuters, Thomas Reuters Corporation, 23 Feb 2020,