Though Iran has the second worst ranking possible for both political and civil liberties according to freedomwatch.org, it does technically qualify as an electoral democracy, albeit one with very few freedoms. This is because ever since the constitution established after the 1979 revolution went into affect there have been elections held, though the question as to whether or not all of these were free and fair still persists for several, particularly the most recent Presidential election which was marred by several questionable returns and votes seemingly appearing out of thin air. While Iran has held elections, it should be noted that they have several significant bodies that are unelected and are not influenced by the elected branch. These institutions are the Supreme Leader (Ayatollah), armed forces, the chief of the judiciary, half of the constitutional court, and the expediency council. The country is able to elect the President, though all the candidates must be approved by the clerics in charge of the guardian council, which tends to be extremely conservative.
Iranian Institutions
Guardian council
The guardian council of Iran is the 12 person upper house of the Iranian Parliament. Six members of the guardian council are appointed by the supreme leader (unelected) and six are appointed by the parliament after being nominated by the head of the judiciary (also unelected) it has power to veto any legislation that was proposed by the majilis (parliament) on the grounds that it is either against the constitution or is against Islam in some way, shape, or form. If it blocks a bill that bill is sent back to the majilis for reconsideration, should the two fail to agree the expediency council acts as the final arbiter in disputes. The council’s true power comes from the fact that it has the power to accept or reject all candidates standing for either the presidency or the elected parliament, effectively allowing them to block true reformers from getting on the ballot. This is further boosted by the fact that the council also has the power to accept or reject the legitimacy of elections, again providing another block to reformers.
Supreme Leader
The supreme leader of Iran is the highest political and religious figure in the entire country, and thus has the final say on all matters. The supreme leader is chosen by the council of experts, who can remove him at any time, though this has yet to happen. The supreme leader may also remove any member of the council of guardians, the armed forces, the head of the judiciary, or the expediency council at will. There is also a clause that allows for the removal of the president upon the request of Parliament or the Supreme court.
Expediency Council
The expediency council is a council selected by the supreme leader to resolve deadlock between the council of guardians and the parliament. The members of the expediency council serve for five year terms.
Presidency
Though the office of President is considered to be quite powerful in many countries it is primarily a figurehead in Iran. The President does have the power to nominate members of his cabinet but they must be approved by the guardian council and the parliament. The President does, however have the power to appoint governors and ambassadors to other countries, and until recently could appoint mayors and local councils. These positions are now chosen VIA direct election. If the supreme leader approves, the president may dually serve as head of the armed forces, though he could still be checked by the supreme leader in all cases.
Parliament
The Parliament of Iran consists of 290 directly elected members who face election every four years. The parliament has several significant powers, most notably the appointment and rejection of cabinet nominees and the ability to impeach the President. The parliament also has the power to propose and pass whatever it chooses, however it should be noted that the President, Ayatollah, and Guardian Council all have the power to veto bill passed by the parliament.
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