The Iranian parliamentary elections of February 20 and May 7, 2004 were a victory for Islamic conservatives over the reformist parties. Assisting the conservative victory was the disqualification of about 2500 reformist candidates earlier in January.
The first round of the 2004 elections to the Iranian Parliament were held on February 20, 2004. Most of the 290 seats were decided at that time but a runoff was held 2½ months later on May 7, 2004, for the remaining thirty-nine seats where no candidate gained sufficient votes in the first round. In the Tehran area, the runoff elections were postponed to be held with the Iranian presidential election of June 17, 2005.
The elections took place amidst a serious political crisis following the January 2004 decision to ban about 2500 candidates — nearly half of the total — including 80 sitting Parliament deputies. This decision, by the conservativeCouncil of Guardians vetting body, "shattered any pretense of Iranian democracy", according to some observers.[2]
The victims of the ban were reformists, particularly members of the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), and included several leaders. Prominent banned candidates included Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, Mohsen Mirdamadi, Mohammad-Reza Khatami and Jamileh Kadivar.[3] In many parts of Iran, there weren't even enough independent candidates approved, so the reformists couldn't form an alliance with them. Out of a possible 285 seats (5 seats are reserved for religious minorities: Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians), the participating reformist parties could only introduce 191 candidates. Many pro-reform social and political figures, including Shirin Ebadi, asked people not to vote (although some reformist party leaders, such as those in the IIPF, specifically mentioned they would not be boycotting the elections). Some moderate reformists, however, including President Mohammad Khatami, urged citizens to vote in order to deny the conservative candidates an easy majority.
Source: Kazemzadeh[6] aAll independents were allied with hardliners aReformist are from ACC faction only
Analysisedit
Political historian Ervand Abrahamian credits the victory of Abadgaran and other conservatives in the 2004 elections (as well as the 2003 and 2005 elections) to the conservatives' retention of their core base of 25% of the voting population; their recruiting of war veteran candidates; their wooing of independents using the issue of national security; and most of all "because large numbers of women, college students, and other members of the salaried middle class" who make up the reformists' base of support "stayed home".[4] Pro-reform voters were discouraged by division in the reform movement and by the disqualifying of reform candidates from running for office.[7]
Number of voters: 23,725,724 (1,971,748 in Tehran and its suburbs)
Referencesedit
^ ab"2004 Parliamentary Election", The Iran Social Science Data Portal, Princeton University, retrieved 10 August 2015
^Iran: an afternoon with a hostage-taker, Afshin Molavi 2009-05-30 at the Wayback Machine 10-11-2005
^Wright, Robin, Dreams and Shadows : the Future of the Middle East, Penguin Press, 2008, p.311
^ abAbrahamian, History of Modern Iran, (2008), p.193
^Cordesman, Anthony H.; Kleiber, Martin (2007). Iran's Military Forces and Warfighting Capabilities: The Threat in the Northern Gulf. Greenwood. p. 9. ISBN978-0-313-34612-5.
^Masoud Kazemzadeh (2008), "Intra-Elite Factionalism and the 2004 Majles Elections in Iran", Middle Eastern Studies, 44 (2): 189–214, doi:10.1080/00263200701874867 – via Taylor and Francis Online (subscription required)
^Abrahamian, History of Modern Iran, (2008), p.194
External linksedit
آمار مقایسهای نتایج انتخابات مجلس ششم و هفتم (PDF), Ministry of Interior (in Persian)
BBC In Depth on Iran elections crisis
List of 191 reformist candidates (in Persian)
Interparliamentary Union report of 2004 election results
January 01, 1970
2004, iranian, legislative, election, iranian, parliamentary, elections, february, 2004, were, victory, islamic, conservatives, over, reformist, parties, assisting, conservative, victory, disqualification, about, 2500, reformist, candidates, earlier, january, . The Iranian parliamentary elections of February 20 and May 7 2004 were a victory for Islamic conservatives over the reformist parties Assisting the conservative victory was the disqualification of about 2500 reformist candidates earlier in January 2004 Iranian legislative election 2000 20 February and 7 May 2004 2008 All 290 seats to the Islamic Consultative Assembly146 seats needed for a majorityRegistered46 351 032 1 Turnout51 21 1 First party Second party Party Parties CCAISCSDIR Parties ACCAFILECPIISPIAEIAWILPWH Alliance Principlists Reformists Seats won 196 47 Percentage 67 58 16 20 Electoral list Alliance of Builders Coalition For IranComposition of the Assembly following the electionSpeaker before election Mehdi Karroubi Combatant Clerics Elected Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel Alliance of Builders Contents 1 Background 2 Results 2 1 Analysis 3 Official statistics from the Ministry of Interior 4 References 5 External linksBackground editThe first round of the 2004 elections to the Iranian Parliament were held on February 20 2004 Most of the 290 seats were decided at that time but a runoff was held 2 months later on May 7 2004 for the remaining thirty nine seats where no candidate gained sufficient votes in the first round In the Tehran area the runoff elections were postponed to be held with the Iranian presidential election of June 17 2005 The elections took place amidst a serious political crisis following the January 2004 decision to ban about 2500 candidates nearly half of the total including 80 sitting Parliament deputies This decision by the conservative Council of Guardians vetting body shattered any pretense of Iranian democracy according to some observers 2 The victims of the ban were reformists particularly members of the Islamic Iran Participation Front IIPF and included several leaders Prominent banned candidates included Ebrahim Asgharzadeh Mohsen Mirdamadi Mohammad Reza Khatami and Jamileh Kadivar 3 In many parts of Iran there weren t even enough independent candidates approved so the reformists couldn t form an alliance with them Out of a possible 285 seats 5 seats are reserved for religious minorities Christians Jews and Zoroastrians the participating reformist parties could only introduce 191 candidates Many pro reform social and political figures including Shirin Ebadi asked people not to vote although some reformist party leaders such as those in the IIPF specifically mentioned they would not be boycotting the elections Some moderate reformists however including President Mohammad Khatami urged citizens to vote in order to deny the conservative candidates an easy majority Conservative political groups included the Militant Clergy Association and the Islamic Coalition Society Liberal reformist groups included the Militant Clerics Society Islamic Iran Participation Front Construction Executives and Worker s House 4 The day before the election the reformist newspapers Yas e no and Shargh were banned Results editSee also Iranian legislative election 2004 Tehran Rey Shemiranat and Eslamshahr Inter Parliamentary Union 20 February and 7 May 2004 Majlis of Iran election results Orientiation of candidates Seats 1st rd Seats 2nd rd Seats Total Conservatives 156 40 196 67 58 Reformists 39 8 47 16 20 Independents 31 9 40 13 79 Undecided 59 2 2 0 68 Armenians reserved seat 2 2 0 68 Chaldean and Assyrian Catholic reserved seat 1 1 0 34 Jewish reserved seat 1 1 0 34 Zoroastrian reserved seat 1 1 0 34 Total Decided seats 231 59 288 99 31 Source IPU 1st round Rulers 2nd round CIA According to the Central Intelligence Agency CIA analysis conservatives won 190 seats reformists won 50 and independents won 43 5 Kazemzadeh 2008 Faction Seats Bloc seats Right wing hardliners 200 240a Reformistsb 40 Independents 40 a Vacant seats 10 Total 290 Source Kazemzadeh 6 a All independents were allied with hardliners a Reformist are from ACC faction only Analysis edit Political historian Ervand Abrahamian credits the victory of Abadgaran and other conservatives in the 2004 elections as well as the 2003 and 2005 elections to the conservatives retention of their core base of 25 of the voting population their recruiting of war veteran candidates their wooing of independents using the issue of national security and most of all because large numbers of women college students and other members of the salaried middle class who make up the reformists base of support stayed home 4 Pro reform voters were discouraged by division in the reform movement and by the disqualifying of reform candidates from running for office 7 Official statistics from the Ministry of Interior editTotal candidates 4679 Decided in the first round 225 of 289 seats To be decided in the second round 64 seats Number of voting booths in the country 39 885 Number of staff about 600 000 Number of voters 23 725 724 1 971 748 in Tehran and its suburbs References edit a b 2004 Parliamentary Election The Iran Social Science Data Portal Princeton University retrieved 10 August 2015 Iran an afternoon with a hostage taker Afshin Molavi Archived 2009 05 30 at the Wayback Machine 10 11 2005 Wright Robin Dreams and Shadows the Future of the Middle East Penguin Press 2008 p 311 a b Abrahamian History of Modern Iran 2008 p 193 Cordesman Anthony H Kleiber Martin 2007 Iran s Military Forces and Warfighting Capabilities The Threat in the Northern Gulf Greenwood p 9 ISBN 978 0 313 34612 5 Masoud Kazemzadeh 2008 Intra Elite Factionalism and the 2004 Majles Elections in Iran Middle Eastern Studies 44 2 189 214 doi 10 1080 00263200701874867 via Taylor and Francis Online subscription required Abrahamian History of Modern Iran 2008 p 194External links editآمار مقایسه ای نتایج انتخابات مجلس ششم و هفتم PDF Ministry of Interior in Persian BBC In Depth on Iran elections crisis List of 191 reformist candidates in Persian Interparliamentary Union report of 2004 election results Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2004 Iranian legislative election amp oldid 1167791376, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
