President of Iran
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The President of Iran is the head of government. The current president is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
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[edit] 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. Despite this, Iran's president fulfills many of the classical functions of a head of state, such as accepting the credentials of ambassadors. Since a change in the constitution removed the post of Prime Minister and merged most of the prime ministerial duties with the President's in 1989, 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. Although he is responsible to both people and the Supreme Leader, he is independent in his decisions and developing the policies of the government.
The President nominates the members of government to the majlis (parliament). He can dismiss any of the government members. He passes bills to the parliament and if approved, the bills are not effective until signed by the president. Although according to the constitution the Supreme Leader is the commander-in-chief of armed forces, he can serve as the commander upon approval of the leader. For example, the first elected president of Iran was also commander of the military. The president appoints the secretary of national security council. He appoints the governors of the provinces and ambassadors of the Islamic Republic to other countries. Until recently, he had the power of appointing mayors of cities. However, the power was given to the cities local assemblies which are directly elected by the people and are directed by the parliament.
[edit] Qualifications and election
The President of Iran is elected in a national election by universal adult suffrage — suffrage is extended to all 18 years of age or older[1]. The selection of candidates for the election is restricted to those individuals approved by the 12-member Council of Guardians. Half of the Council's members are appointed by the Supreme Leader and are intended to preserve the values of the Islamic Republic. To be eligible to run for president the Council proclaims the following qualifications be met:
- The candidate must be male (Disputed [2])
- Be a well-known political figure (رجل سیاسی)
- 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 small number 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. However, the council rejects the criticism, citing approval of reformists in previous elections. The council rejects most of the candidates stating that they are not "a well-known political figure", a requirement by the current law.
The President must be elected with a simple majority of the popular vote. A runoff election may be required to achieve this. The President serves for a term of four years and is eligible for a second term.
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.
[edit] Presidents of Iran
| President | Took office | Left office | Elections | Reason for leaving office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abolhassan Banisadr | February 4, 1980 | June 21, 1981 | 1980 election | Impeachment |
| Mohammad Ali Rajai | August 2, 1981 | August 30, 1981 | July 1981 election | Assassination |
| Ali Khamenei | October 2, 1981 | August 2, 1989 | October 1981 election 1985 election |
Became Supreme Leader (held both offices of Supreme Leader and President between death of Khomeini and election of Rafsanjani) |
| Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani | August 3, 1989 | August 2, 1997 | 1989 election 1993 election |
Term completed |
| Mohammad Khatami | August 3, 1997 | August 2, 2005 | 1997 election 2001 election |
Term completed |
| Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | August 3, 2005 | Present | 2005 election | Still in office |
