Political Institutions and Ebrahim Raisi: The Rise to Power in an Authoritarian Theocracy

4 Political Institutions

Institutions

  • National People's Congress in China:

    • The largest parliamentary body in the world with almost 3,000 members.

    • Mandated by the Chinese constitution as the most powerful institution in the state.

    • In practice, it has limited power; its role is primarily to approve policies submitted by the Chinese Communist Party.

Ebrahim Raisi: The Rise to Power in an Authoritarian Theocracy

  • Historical Context:

    • A mid-twentieth century political commentator, Walter Lippmann, stated that governance is a necessity for societies.

    • Understanding how states organize their governing institutions is crucial to comprehend political conflicts and how rules and procedures shape competing political forces.

  • Government Structures:

    • Governments are organized through institutions: executive, legislature, and judiciary.

    • Differences exist between democratic governance and authoritarian governance.

    • Authoritarian states may be ruled by monarchies, dictators, single parties, or theocracies led by religious authorities.

  • Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran):

    • Established in 1979 post-Iranian Revolution, which ended the secular authoritarian monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

    • New political systems were created to embed clerical rule.

    • The revolution included religious and secular opposition.

    • Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini: First supreme leader, consolidating power by adhering to divine rule, positioned against the corrupt western-aligned Shah.

    • Historical context of U.S. involvement: Support of a coup in 1953 against democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.

  • Office of Supreme Leader:

    • The supreme leader wields ultimate authority in Iran.

    • Current leader is Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been in power since 1989.

    • Ebrahim Raisi: appointed chief justice in 2019, a former student of Khamenei and a significant conservative cleric. His lineage is noteworthy as he is a seyyed, a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.

    • Predominance of Shia Islam in Iran sets it apart from most Middle Eastern countries that follow Sunni Islam. The historical split in Islam influenced leadership legitimacy based on descent.

Ebrahim Raisi's Career Path

  • Born in 1960, achievements include:

    • Prosecutor positions in various cities (1982–1994).

    • Deputy prosecutor-general of Tehran (1985–1988).

    • Prosecutor-general of Tehran (1989–1994) and head of State General Inspectorate Organization (1994–2004).

    • First Deputy Chief Justice (2004–2014).

    • Member of the Assembly of Experts, a clerical oversight body that supervises the supreme leader.

  • In 2016, appointed guardian of Iran's holiest shrine, enhancing his religious standing.

Controversial Role in 1988 Massacre

  • Raisi faced criticism regarding his involvement in the 1988 massacre of political prisoners following the Iran-Iraq War.

    • Thousands of political prisoners executed in a campaign of state repression against opponents of the regime.

    • Amnesty International's report estimated at least 5,000 executions and calls for accountability by Iranian government.

  • Raisi has been silent about his role but acknowledged the process in 2018, generating criticism and allegations of misinformation.

Chief Justice Responsibilities

  • As chief justice, Raisi oversees the judiciary, appointing and dismissing judges, and playing a pivotal role in judicial appointments.

  • He can propose bills to the unicameral parliament known as the Majles, and appoint half of the members of the Guardian Council, which controls electoral candidacies and legislation.

The 2021 Election

  • Raisi's election as president in June 2021:

    • Initial run in 2017 led to a significant loss to Hassan Rouhani.

    • In 2021, faced a Guardian Council that allowed only four conservative candidates.

    • Raisi won amid the lowest voter turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic at 48.8%.

    • His announcement of candidacy emphasized service to the people despite personal interests.

4.1 Systems of Government

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding features of parliamentary vs. presidential systems and their implications in policy-making effectiveness.

Features of Governmental Institutions

  1. Executive:

    • Chief political power, often the most powerful office within government.

  2. Legislature:

    • Represents citizens and passed laws.

  3. Judiciary:

    • Interprets the law and adjudicates individual cases.

Distinctions Between Systems

  • Parliamentary System:

    • Fusion of executive and legislative branches.

    • Prime Minister (PM) typically a member of legislature.

    • Coalition government formed when no majority party exists.

    • Vote of no confidence possible, allowing removal of PM by parliament.

  • Presidential System:

    • Separation of powers between the executive (president) and legislature.

    • Each elected independently, leading to potentially divided government.

    • More difficult for executive to get legislation passed when opposition controls part of the legislature.

  • Semi-Presidential System:

    • Executive power divided between a president (head of state) and a PM (head of government).

    • Requires clear constitutional division of powers to function effectively, as seen in countries like Russia.

Comparative Remarks on Government Systems

  • Presidential systems noted for slower legislative processes; parliamentary systems allow rapid adjustments due to the tightly linked executive and legislature.

  • Ongoing debates regarding government stability:

    • Juan Linz argued presidential systems face potential instability due to winner-takes-all nature, suggesting greater inflexibility in governance.

  • The best-fit governance model is context-dependent, shaped by individual country histories and political cultures.

Evaluating Systems of Government

  • Arguments in Favor of Parliamentary Systems:

    • Stability, economic performance benefits, quicker legislative processes.

    • Empirical data suggests better economic outcomes and income equality associated with parliamentary frameworks.

Section Review and Concluding Thoughts

  • Unicameral vs. Bicameral Legislatures:

    • Unicameral = quicker operations, primarily in authoritarian states.

    • Bicameral = more deliberative but can lead to gridlock.

  • Judiciary's Role:

    • Critical for interpreting law, maintaining independence to ensure civil liberties.

    • Distinction between common law (precedent-based) and code law (statute-based).

    • Importance of judicial independence in protecting against abuses from either legislature or administration.