Political Structure

    At the top of Iran’s political structure resides the Supreme Leader who is an Islamic fundamentalist. Although Iran may appear to be a democracy it really isn’t because the Supreme Leader (who holds the majority of the power) is not elected. He appoints the Head of Judiciary, six leaders of the Guardian Council, and is the commander of all armed forces. One of the most controversial abilities of the Supreme Leader is the ability to confirm the president’s election. So no matter how high the vote is for one candidate, if the Supreme Leader does not agree, he will not be president. The Supreme Leader is appointed by radical clerics so the Supreme Leader is bound to be fundamentalist. The current Leader is Ayatollah Ali Khomeini who was appointed in 1989 (although the names are similar, this is not the same Ayatollah Khomeini who led the Iranian Revolution). Ayatollah Khomeini set the standards for future Supreme Leaders. Since then, the Supreme Leader has exemplified fundamentalist views and incorporated them into politics.

The clerics who appoint the Supreme Leader are known as the Assembly of Experts. Along with appointing the Supreme Leader, the Assembly monitors his performance and can remove him if he is not performing his duties. However, it is unlikely he will ever be removed because the Assembly is fundamentalist just like the Leader. Candidates for the Assembly are approved by the Guardian Council, which is by far the most influential political body in Iran. The Council must approve all bills passed by Parliament and vetoes them if they are inconsistent with Islamic law. This is corrupt because even if a bill serves the greater good and will be beneficial to the Iranian people as a whole, if it goes again fundamentalist Islamic principles, it will not be passed. The Council can also restrict candidates from running for the presidency, parliament, and Assembly of Experts, and of course females are always excluded. Reformists have attempted to reduce the Guardian Council’s power, but their attempts have been unsuccessful due to the dominance of conservatives in the government.