The Iran political structure and Iranian presidential elections have global significance from the standpoints of its unique electoral system. The Iranian president, who is elected as the highest official in the Islamic Republic of Iran, second only to the Supreme Leader, by and large, serves a four-year term after getting elected directly by the citizens of Iran. However, according to the Iranian constitution, the Iranian president can not serve for more than two consecutive terms.
The Position Of Iranian President
The Iranian president assumes a great significance although he is not conferred with the highest power of the nation. As per the constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran, the Iranian president is responsible for the functions of the executives which include the following areas:
O Signing International agreements and treaties
O Signing agreements and treaties with any International organizations
O Appointing ministers, governors, ambassadors subject to the approval of the parliament
O National Planning and Budget
O State Employment Affairs
Role of Iranian President in The State
As the head of the state, the Iranian president performs a host of established functions including accepting the credentials of the ambassadors. After the Iranian constitution removed the position of Prime Minister and decided to merge all the primer ministerial duties with the President’s in 1989, the role of the of the Iranian president has assumed greater importance than ever before.
Moreover, elected as the highest official directly in the Iranian presidential elections, the Iranian president is responsible and accountable to the people. Although, he is accountable to both the Supreme Leader as well as the people of Islamic Republic of Iran, he can independently take decisions and develop certain government policies of the country.
Other Functions of The Iranian President
The Iranian president can formulate foreign policies with the help of National Security Council and approval of the Supreme Leader. However, all foreign policies are usually executed by minister of foreign affairs and secretary general of the security council. As a matter of fact, the secretary general of the security council plays a more important role in decisions related to the national economy and nuclear energy policies.
The Iranian president also enjoys a great deal of power in the nomination and appointment of members to the parliament, called Majlis. Similarly, he has the discretion to sack any of the government members. Moreover, the Iranian president appoints the secretary of national security council, the ambassadors to foreign countries and the governors of the provinces in Iran as well.
Earlier, the discretion of appointing of city mayors was also with the Iranian president. However, according to the new rules of the Iranian constitution, the power of electing the mayors of the cities now lies with the local assemblies that are elected directly by the people of Iran.
The position of the Iranian president in Iran political structure has become stronger after the Iranian constitution merged the prime ministerial responsibilities with those of the president.
Tags: Iran Political Structure, Iranian President, Iranian Presidential Elections