The ideological factionalism and polarization of politics within the government is as much, if not more, about the allocation of socio-economic and political resources as it is about whose "proper" vision of Islam can better address problems facing the country. But the future of democratization will largely be determined by a power struggle over social, economic, and political resources both within the state leadership and between the state and society. (5) Indeed, a nascent electoral democracy has taken root in post-revolution Iran. Thus far, seemingly unsuccessful government attempts to marry Islam with its vision of democracy and to build the foundation of an "Islamic" political and economic society, have raised doubts about democracy and its future in Iran.(1)īut the absence of a meaningful democracy (2) in Iran cannot be explained neither by the alleged incompatibility between Islam and democracy (3), nor as a byproduct of socio-economic underdevelopment (4), nor as a consequence of an indifferent and repressive state. Legal and institutional mechanisms for protecting political and civil rights remain absent or underdeveloped.
Electoral laws remain restrictive, excluding "non-desirable" candidates from political offices. The question is whether such a system can emerge in the long run. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been experimenting with democracy for two decades now but the present state of political and civil rights in Iran is a far cry from a democratic political system. At the same time, though, these contradictions make Iran a particularly interesting example of factors affecting democratization and the development of civil society in developing countries. But Iran still faces an internal power struggle, a relatively weak civil society, and persistent economic problems that make a thoroughgoing transition far more difficult. The author suggests that this situation has encouraged greater participation in politics, thus giving additional impetus to change. Popular demands for change were especially visible in the election of Muhammad Khatami as president in 1997 and the 2000 parliamentary elections. Iran has developed a system which allows a larger degree of electoral democracy than would have seemed likely in the early years following the Islamist revolution. The Struggle For Democracy In The Islamic Republic Of Iran This revised and reformatted edition was published in October 2017.Middle East Review of International Affairs Arranged thematically around the practical choices faced by constitution-builders, the Primers aim to explain complex constitutional issues in a quick and easy way. They also provide guidance for staff of intergovernmental organizations and other external actors working to provide well informed, context-relevant support to local decision-makers.Įach Primer is written as an introduction for non-specialist readers, and as a convenient aide-memoire for those with prior knowledge of, or experience with, constitution-building. International IDEA’s Constitution-Building Primers are designed to assist in-country constitution-building or constitutional-reform processes by helping citizens, political parties, civil society organizations, public officials and members of constituent assemblies make wise constitutional choices. Local democracy is the self-government of cities, towns, villages and districts by democratic means-typically, but not exclusively, through elected mayors, councils and other local officials. Gender Equality and Inclusion in Democracy.
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