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https://theconversation.com/iranian-parliamentary-election-what-people-are-voting-for-and-why-its-different-this-time-224804>
"Iranian voters head to the polls on March 1 to elect the country’s next
parliament and the powerful Assembly of Experts. The result is likely to be a
foregone conclusion, given the tight control that the Islamic Republic holds
over who can run for office. But the way the election plays out – and its
significance – may be different to normal.
Every four years the public get to vote for the 290 members of the Iranian
parliament (also known as the Islamic Consultative Assembly). The parliament is
the legislature of the country, and its members are responsible for drafting
legislation, approving the annual budget and any international treaties or
agreements. It is not responsible for foreign or nuclear policy.
At the same time, elections are being held for the Assembly of Experts, which
serves an eight-year term and is imbued under the Iranian constitution to
monitor, dismiss and elect the supreme leader.
Despite Iranians being able to vote, there are a number of limitations to the
democratic process in Iran. Most notably, all candidates are vetted by the
Guardian Council – an unelected body – hence removing a significant element of
choice.
Of the 49,000 people who registered to run for parliament this year, 14,200
applicants were approved. This has involved the disqualification of many
reformist and centrist conservatives and has left mainly right-wing
conservatives vying for posts.
In fact, only 30 reformists have been approved to run for office, leaving them
to claim that the elections are “meaningless, non-competitive, unfair, and
ineffective in the administration of the country”.
In the Assembly of Experts, 144 candidates have been approved to run for the 88
seats. But the centrist and reformist former president, Hassan Rouhani, has
been banned from seeking re-election. This has further cemented the Assembly of
Experts as a stronghold of conservatives and ultra-conservatives.
The names of the final candidates were also released very late – just two weeks
before the election. This has allowed little time for campaigning or, more
importantly, for the public to get to know who they are supposed to be voting
for."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
