1996 Iranian legislative election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections were held in Iran on 8 March 1996, with a second round on 19 April.[2] The Combatant Clergy Association and its allies emerged as the largest bloc in the Majlis, winning 110 of the 270 seats.[2]
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8 March and 19 April 1996
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All 270 seats of Islamic Consultative Assembly 135 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Registered | 34,716,000[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 71.10%[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Composition of the Assembly following the election | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Electoral system
The constitution approved in a December 1979 referendum provided for a 270-seat Majlis, with five seats reserved for minority groups including Jews, Zorastrians, Armenians from the north and south of the country and one jointly elected by Assyrians.[3]
The elections were conducted using a two-round system, with the number of candidates progressing to the second round being double the number of seats available. Candidates required an absolute majority to win a seat in the first round, and plurality to win in the second round.[3] However, in this election, minimum percentages for candidates to be elected in first round was lowered to 33.33% (one-third of votes).
Campaign
A total of 3,726 candidates contested the elections, including around 326 women.[3] 145 seats were won in the first round of voting.[4]
Main groups contesting in the elections were:[5]
- Combatant Clergy Association and Islamic Aligned Organizations ('traditional' right-wing)
- Executives of Construction Party ('modern' right-wing)
- Association for Defence of Revolution Values ('neocon' right-wing)
- Association of Combatant Clerics ('traditional' left-wing)
- Coalition of Imam's Line groups ('radical' left-wing)
15 Freedom Movement members presented themselves as candidates and only 4 of them made it through initial vetting, 3 of whom were excluded before polling day. The organization announced its intention to withdraw from the election. The election was boycotted by the National Front and Nation Party.[6]
Results
Both conservatives and reformers claimed a 70 percent majority after the first round and also claimed independents as supporters.[7]
- Salam newspaper
According to Salam, Executives of Construction and Imam's Line Groups won shared 120 parliamentary seats.[8]
- Adelkhah (1999)
| Faction | Seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Right | 90 to 100 | ||
| Executives of Construction | 70 to 80 | ||
| Left | about 40 | ||
| Source: Adelkhah[9] | |||
- Nohlen et al (2001)
- In the following table, the Independents are counted as "allies".
| Party | Seats | +/– | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combatant Clergy Association and allies | 110 | –40 | ||
| Combatant Clerics of Tehran and allies | 80 | +80 | ||
| Executives of Construction Party and allies | 80 | New | ||
| Total | 270 | 0 | ||
| Source: Nohlen et al.[2] | ||||
- Kazemzadeh (2008)
| Faction | Seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-wing hardliners | 150 | ||
| Rafsanjani and Executives of Construction | 15–60 | ||
| Left-wing coalition of Imam's Line | 30 | ||
| Independents | 30 | ||
| Total | 270 | ||
| Source: Kazemzadeh[10] | |||
Aftermath
The newly elected members of Majlis met for the first time on 1 June.[4] Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri remained in Speaker position until 2000 after he received 11 more votes than Abdullah Nouri (also a cleric).