The Presidential Complex, Zafaraniyeh, [[Tehran.]]
Mohammad Khatami, Iran's president, 1997-present.Since the overthrow of the
Shah in 1979,
Iran has been a
republic. However, unlike most republics, the effective head of Iran's political establishment is not the president, but rather the
Supreme Leader, who is a religious figure selected by an
Assembly of Experts.
Iran still has a
president, however, and he fulfills many of the classical functions of a
head of state, such as accepting the credentials of ambassadors. Since the change in the constitution that removed the post of
Prime Minister and merged most of the prime ministerial duties with the President's, the once
figurehead Presidential post has become a position of significant government influence.
Qualifications and Election
The President of Iran is elected in a national
election by universal adult suffrage. There remain some restrictions on the selection of candidates for the election — only those individuals approved by the 12-member religious Council of Guardians are permitted to run. The Council's members are appointed either directly or indirectly by the Supreme Leader and are intended to preserve the values of Iran's Islamic government. To be elligible to run for president the Council proclaims the following qualifications be met:
Within these guidelines the Council
vetos candidates who are deemed unacceptable. The approval process is considered to be a check on the president's power, and usually amounts to a very small minority of candidates being approved. In the 1997 election, for example, only four out of 238 presidential candidates were approved by the council. No woman has ever been approved. Western observers have routinely criticized the approvals process as a way for the Council and Supreme Leader to insure that only conservative and like-minded Islamic fundamentalists can win office.
The President must be elected with 50%-plus-one of the popular vote. If no candidate can achieve this a run off election is held.
According to the Iranian constitution, When the President dies or is impeached, a special provisional
Presidential Council temporarily rules in his place until an election can be held.
The President automatically becomes the Head of Council of Cultural Revolution and the Head of Council of National Security.
Iran's Presidents
Most of Iran's presidents have left office in somewhat of a chaotic fashion, and the transition from one to another has not always been smooth.
See also:
Politics of Iran, Prime Ministers of Iran
Iran, President
Category:Iranian government