Iranian Politics In

Transition

Section 5: IranHailey, Jared, Maya, Austin

Election Protests• 2009: President Ahmadinejad is re-elected.• Opposition claimed the election was rigged.

• = Mass demonstrations in the streets.• Protesters beaten, tear gassed, shot and killed.• Mir Hossein Mousavi supporters clashed with

Pro-Ahmadinejad supporters.

“Largest Protests since the 1979 Iranian Revolution”

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OznZcNb7ZVM

• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5091194n

• http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html

Iran Stepping Up Effort to Quell Election Protest: Article

Election Protests

• Ahmadinejad received 62% of the popular vote, Mousavi received 33%.

• Largest turnout every: 85% of eligible voters, 39 million voters.

• 500 candidates filed for the election, 4 selected to run.

Election Info

• Along with middle east uprisings, Iranians felt it was there time to push again for democracy.

• Result=Protests, clashes, Iranians killed.

• Millions flooded streets all across Iran during 2010 and 2011.

• Social Media i.e. twitter; Internet and cellphones limited by government.

• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7350112n• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/14/iran-protests-2

011-videos_n_823162.html#s240183&title=Iran_14_Feb

Green Movement

• Internal & External• Internal= how to combine theocracy with democracy

and clerical authority with mass participation?– Conservatives gained upper hand but limited

democracy.– Question: can Iran become a dominant world

power without human rights abuses, rigged elections, and unregulated militant entities?

Two Major Challenges

• Ways to take on internal challenge:– Flexibility– Liberalization– Greater scope of civil society– Public Participation= competitive elections

*Strengthen the democracy not the theocracy.

Two Major Challenges

• Internal & External • External= the United States– Bush: “Axis of Evil” – Challenge b/c American economic sanctions, lack

of diplomatic relations, and ex-member of WTO.

Two Major Challenges

U.S. accuses Iran of helping terrorists (Hamas & Hezbollah).

Questions over Weapons of Mass Destruction.

• Obama admin. accepted Iran’s right to enrich uranium.

• Iran began to enrich uranium using new and faster methods; saying its for energy.– In 2011, IAEA report = Iran

testing nuclear technologies.

*2012 inspectors schedule to inspect Iran nuclear facility, however never allowed into country.

Iran’s Nuclear Program

• U.S. uses economic sanctions: = made Iran more determined to get weapons.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJsxmvv0zqw

• Iran continues to develop (or has developed?) a nuclear weapon.

• Israel threatens to attack/bomb Iran facilities with or without U.S.

Iran’s Nuclear Program

What’s next?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzX62F0JfI• http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57414223/iran-western-power

s-hail-latest-nuclear-talks/• http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/magazine/will-israel-attack-iran.ht

ml?pagewanted=all

Iran’s Nuclear Program

• Iran was never formally colonized by the European imperial powers and has always been independent.

• Iran gov. connects with its society through religion.– Shi’ism= national identity, “social and cultural cement”– Collective identity “strained by other internal fault lines”

• Economy is largely undeveloped. • Development of democracy “constricted” by

theocracy.

Comparative Perspective

• Politics in Iran divided by question of how to govern an economy.

• Economic problems, i.e. sharp rise in oil prices, could crash Iranian economy.

• The themes and implications that brought the regime into power in 1979 have eroded and there is growing discontent and push for democracy.

Comparative Perspective

• Iran= theocracy (clerics)/democracy; Islamic Republic of Iran

• Executive=president Ahmadinejad, elected 4 yr. terms. Treaties/laws/agreements.

• Legislature=Majles, unicameral, elected 4 yr. terms. Draft leg., ratify treaties, budget.

• Supreme Leader=true ruler Ayatollah Khamenei. War, nominate off., bridge between branches of government.

RECAP

• Assembly of Experts= 86, elected 8 yr. terms, oversee Supreme Leader.

• Guardian Council=12, interpret const. resolve conflict.

• Persian heritage. Farsi off. language.• 1979 Revolution, Hostage Crisis.• Iran=rentier state, economy=oil,

mostly gov. controlled. • Protests= 1979, student, election,

green movement.

RECAP

• Cleavages= religion, inequalities, theocracy over democracy, market diversity, “Axis of Evil” and nuclear weapons, international relations, human rights.

RECAP