President of Iran
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The President of Iran holds a very important office in Iran's political establishment. Originally a figurehead position when created after the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, the presidency has become an increasingly important office, especially since 1989. The current president is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Role in the state
In contrast with 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. For instance, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who is perhaps the most famous Iranian leader in the West, was Supreme Leader, not president.Despite this, Iran's president 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. In addition, as the highest directly elected official in Iran, the President is responsive and responsible to public opinion in a way that the Supreme Leader is not.
Qualifications and election
The President of Iran is elected in a national election by universal adult suffrage — suffrage is extended to all over the age of 15. The selection of candidates for the election is restricted to those individuals approved by the 12-member religious Council of Guardians. The Council's members are appointed either directly or indirectly by the Supreme Leader and are intended to preserve the values of Iran's theocratic Islamic government. To be eligible to run for president the Council proclaims the following qualifications be met:- The candidate must be Male
- Be a Muslim
- Be between the ages of 25 and 75
- have no criminal record
- have no record of government service under the Iranian Monarchy
- be "loyal" to the Islamic Republic
Within these guidelines the Council vetoes 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. Western observers have routinely criticized the approvals process as a way for the Council and Supreme Leader to ensure that only conservative and like-minded Islamic fundamentalists can win office.
The President must be elected with a simple majority of the popular vote. A runoff election may be required to achieve this.
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.
Presidents of Iran
- Abolhassan Banisadr - President from January 1980 (1980 election) to his impeachment in June of 1981.
- Mohammad Ali Rajai - elected president on August 2, 1981 (July 1981 election) in the wake of Banisadr's impeachment. Assassinated on August 30 of the same year.
- Ali Khamenei - elected president in October, 1981 (October 1981 election). Re-elected in 1985 (1985 election). Became Supreme Leader after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989. Fulfilled the role of both Supreme Leader and President between the death of Khomeini and the election of Rafsanjani.
- Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani - elected president in August of 1989 (1989 election), re-elected in 1993 (1993 election), served until August 1997.
- Mohammad Khatami - elected president in August of 1997 (1997 election), re-elected in 2001 (2001 election), served until August 2005.
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - elected in a run off June 24, 2005 (2005 election), served since August 3, 2005.
See also
External links
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