Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis)

The Islamic Consultative Assembly is one of the pillars of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Its representatives are elected every four years through direct and secret ballot by the people for a four-year term. The Assembly has so far completed eleven terms, with the twelfth term beginning in May 2024. Its primary functions are enacting and interpreting ordinary laws and also  supervising the implementation of laws.

History of the  parliament  in Iran

The first formal concept of a parliament in Iran dates back to the Parthian era, with the most famous being the "Mahestan" assembly. This assembly consisted of members from two other councils: the "Family Council," comprising male members of the royal family, and the "Council of Elders," composed of senior and experienced men and high-ranking clergy of the Parthian tribe. The Parthian kings consulted with this assembly on state affairs.

From the Qajar era to the present, various assemblies have been established as follows:History of the Parliament in Iran, Comprehensive Information Database of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Retrieved March 17, 2025, from https://www.parliran.ir.

The State Consultative Assembly

This assembly, which was later called by other names such as “Governmental Dar al-Shura”  and As Mashverat -Khaneh, was first established in the constitutional history of Iran in 1860 by decree of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar to handle all state affairs, so that its members would deal with state issues with joint responsibility, report the results to the Shah, and implement them after approval. While in practice due to the autocratic nature of the government at the time, it had little practical benefit for the people. The members of this assembly were individuals such as Etezad  al-Saltanah, Minister of Science, Nosrat al-Dowlah, Governor of Dar al-Khelafah, Sepahsalar, Mostofi al-Mamalek, Abbas-Qoli Khan Javanshir, Minister of Justice, Amin al-Dowlah, Mirza Saeed Khan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sepahdar, Naser al-Molk, Minister of Commerce, and Dabir al-Molk.

The Supreme or Extraordinary Parliament

This parliament was formed in 1909 during the Constitutional Era, after the conquest of Tehran by the Mujahedeen, with members consisting of more than 500 members from the remnants of the first parliament, scholars, princes, nobles, merchants, and heads of constitutionalist leaders, at the invitation and instigation of the heads of the Mujahedeen in the absence of the National Consultative Assembly and in accordance with urgent necessity, to determine the fate of Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar, oversee the affairs of the country, and determine the political line in Baharestan.

And in it, a plan was prepared to depose Mohammad Ali Shah and appoint Sultan Ahmad Mirza as the crown prince and delegate the regency of the monarchy to Azdol -Molk Qajar. This plan was approved with enthusiasm and cheers in the Supreme Assembly and was immediately announced and communicated to all provinces and kingdoms. Because the large number of its members somewhat prevented it from making decisions, this Assembly announced another body called the Supreme Commission to manage affairs and supervise the process of election and dissolution.

The National Consultative Assembly

The National Consultative Assembly was established as a result of the Constitutional Revolution by a decree dated 15th Aug 1906 by Mozaffar al-Din Shah Qajar and opened on 7th Oct  of the same year in the Golestan Palace in the presence of the Shah. This assembly had a total of 24 sessions, starting on 6th Oct 1906 and ending on 8th Sep  1975.

Senate

According to the Iranian Constitution, the number of representatives in this parliament was 65, of whom 35 were appointed by the Shah from the people of Tehran and from the people of the provinces, and the other 30 were appointed by the nation, the people of Tehran, and the people of the provinces. The Senate was not formed until 1949, and in that year, the first legislative session of the National Consultative Assembly opened in Feb 1950. According to the Iranian Constitution, the duty of this parliament was to approve matters. If those matters were raised in the Senate or by the Cabinet, they would first have to be revised and approved by the Senate by a majority vote, and then approved by the National Assembly. However, matters raised in the National Assembly would go from this assembly to the Senate. Except for financial matters, which were specific to the National Assembly, the decision of the Assembly on the aforementioned matters was communicated to the Senate, which then expressed its concerns to the National Assembly. However, the National Assembly was free to accept or reject the Senate's concerns after due consideration.

Constituent Assembly

An assembly of representatives elected by the people through general elections whose duty is to prepare the constitution or change some of its principles. Some have considered the first National Consultative Assembly to be the Constituent Assembly because the Constitution of Iran and its amendments were enacted during that period.

Some have also considered the first Constituent Assembly in Iran in 1925 to amend Articles 36, 37, and 38 of the Constitution. According to these principles, the monarchy was permanently in the hands of the Qajar dynasty, which was changed by the decree of this Assembly and made the monarchy hereditary in the family of Reza Khan, (Sardar  Sepah).

The position of  Parliament

The position of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in the Islamic Republic of Iran is the reference and axis of legislation, planning and supervision, the guiding light of the government and the nation, the fundamental base of the system and the people, the source of the people's real presence and participation in decision-making and the manifestation of the national will. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, representatives are elected directly and by secret ballot for a four-years term.

If a representative is elected to the parliament through mid-term elections, his or her  term of office will be limited to the end of the parliament's term. The Islamic Consultative Assembly shall not be closed except in cases of war and military occupation upon the proposal of the President, the approval of the representatives and the approval of the Guardian Council in war zones or the entire country, and with the continuation of the activities of the previous parliament.

And the elections for each term must be held before the end of the previous term so that the country is never without a parliament. Therefore, the parliament has a special and lofty importance in the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Opening of the Parliament

According to Article 65 of the Constitution, the first session of the Parliament is officially inaugurated with the presence of civil and military officials, under the chairmanship of the elderly Presidium of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and with the presence of two-thirds of the total number of representatives. This session begins with the recitation of verses 35 to 42 of the Holy Surah Al-Shura.After reading the Supreme Leader's message, the oath-taking ceremony of Muslim representatives before the Quran and representatives of religious minorities before their holy book, mentioning its name, will be held to protect the sanctity of Islam and guard the achievements of the Islamic Revolution and the foundations of the Islamic Republic. The text of the oath-taking ceremony of the representatives is as follows:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; I swear by Allah Almighty before the Holy Quran and, relying on my human honor, I pledge to be the guardian of the sanctity of Islam and the guardian of the achievements of the Islamic Revolution of the Iranian nation and the foundations of the Islamic Republic. I will also safeguard the trust entrusted to us by the nation as a just trustee, and I will observe trustworthiness and piety in carrying out the duties of attorneyAnd I will always adhere to the independence and advancement of the country, protect the rights of the nation, and serve the people. I will obey the Constitution and, in my words, writings, and comments, I will consider the independence of the country, the freedom of the people, and the provision of their interests.

After the speeches and oath-taking of the elected representatives, the delegates are divided equally into fifteen branches based on a drawing of lots to review their credentials. At the end of the session, the delegates attend the holy shrine of Imam Khomeini  and Behesht Zahra  Cemetery to commemorate the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini (RA), and the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution, and to pay their respects and renew their vows with them.Formation and Opening of the Parliament, Islamic Parliament Research Center (IPRC),Retrieved March 17, 2025, from https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/133353.

Structure of the Parliament

Part of the structure of the Parliament is related to the parliamentary structure and another part is related to the organization of the Parliament.

Structure of the parliamentary structure

The parliamentary structure of the Islamic Consultative Assembly consists of the Speaker, the Presiding Board, and various committees and commissions.Parliamentary Structure of the Parliament, Comprehensive Information Database of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Retrieved March 17, 2025, from https://www.parliran.ir.

Speaker

The election of the Speaker in the first round by an absolute majority vote of the representatives, and if that is not achieved, in the second round by a relative majority vote of the representatives will suffice. And in the event of his resignation or death, the Vice Speakers, in order of precedence, convene the meeting and read the text of the resignation or announce the death.

The duties and powers of the Speaker of the Parliament are:

·       Managing the sessions of the Parliament as described in the articles of the regulations

·       Managing all administrative, financial, employment and organizational affairs of the Parliament

·       Signing all employment orders based on the employment regulations of the Parliament staff and other laws and regulations

·       Signing all letters related to legislative and parliamentary affairs of the Parliament

·       Attending legal institutions of which the Speaker of the Parliament is a member.

·       Presenting a complete report of the decisions and actions of the Presiding Board regarding various issues related to the Parliament and its subordinate units to the representatives once every three months

·      Other matters mentioned in the Constitution and other regulations

The Presidium of the Parliament

The elderly Presidium of the Islamic Consultative Assembly shall hold elections for the Presidium in the first session after the opening of the Parliament. The members of the Presidium shall be elected for a term of one year, and the representatives who wish to be members of the Presidium shall apply to the elderly Presidium by the end of office hours on the opening day of the Parliament.

The Board of Directors consists of a Chairman, two Vice-Chairmen, six Secretaries and three Observers. The Chairman shall be elected in the first round by an absolute majority of the votes of the representatives, and the Vice-Chairmen, Secretaries and Observers shall be elected separately by a relative majority and secret ballot by ballot. If an absolute majority is not achieved in the election of the Chairman in the first round, a relative majority shall be sufficient in the second round. If the votes for the Chairman, Vice-Chairmen, Secretaries and Observers are equal, they shall be determined by lottery, as the case may be.

Branches

After the swearing-in ceremony, the representatives are divided equally into fifteen branches by lot, and the remaining members are added to the branches one by one, starting from the first branch. Representatives who take the oath later are admitted to the branches with a deficit by lot.

Each branch will have a chairman, two vice-chairmen, a spokesperson and two secretaries, who will be elected separately by secret ballot and by a relative majority of more than one-third of the total members of the branch, and in case of a tie, the decision will be made by drawing lots. Each branch is valid for the entire term of representation, and their duties and powers include as follows:

·       Processing credentials

·       Appointing members of the Investigation Commission

·       Appointing members of the Internal Regulations Commission of the Parliament

·       Reviewing and determining the qualifications of candidates for membership in specialized parliamentary committees

Commissions

The Parliament has special commissions, and the number of members of special commissions will be  according to Articles (39) to (44) of the internal regulations, and specialized ones with a minimum of nineteen and a maximum of twenty-three members, with specific scope of duties.

Special Commissions

Joint Commission: This commission is formed for projects and bills, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, are fundamentally related to two or more commissions, and its number of members is twenty-three.

Special Commission: This commission is formed on important and exceptional issues of the country upon the proposal of at least fifteen representatives and approval by the parliament. These fifteen people are directly elected by the representatives in a public session by secret ballot and relative majority.

Consolidation Commission: This commission was formed to regulate the principles and provisions of development programs and bills for the country's entire budget and to establish coordination between specialized committees of the parliament. Its members are nine members from the Program, Budget, and Accounting Commission and three members from each other specialized committee.

Investigation Commission: This commission was formed to investigate credentials that were not approved by the branches or were objected to by representatives.

Parliament's Internal Regulations Commission: This commission was formed to regulate and approve the Parliament's internal regulations, with the presence of one approved member from each branch.

Commission on Article 90 of the Constitution: In order to organize and make the parliament and representatives more efficient, especially with regard to the functioning of the executive and judiciary branches and the parliament based on various principles of the constitution, especially Article 90, a commission called Article 90 of the constitution is being formed to operate and perform its duties in accordance with the relevant approved laws.

The members of this commission are as follows: One person from each specialized commission, nominated by the relevant commission. Eight representatives who are elected as permanent members by the heads of branches and the board of directors.

Specialized commissions

Education, Research and Technology Commission: To carry out the assigned duties within the scope of general education, technical and vocational education, higher education, research and technology.This ommission will be established in accordance with the regulations.

Social Commission: To carry out the assigned duties within the scope of administrative and employment affairs, labor, employment, labor relations, and cooperation in accordance with the regulations

Economic Commission: Performs assigned duties in the areas of economy and finance, domestic trade, and foreign trade in accordance with the regulations.

National Security and Foreign Policy Commission: Performs assigned duties in the areas of foreign policy and relations, defense, intelligence, and security in accordance with the regulations.

Energy Commission: Performs assigned duties within the scope of oil, gas, electricity, dams and hydroelectric and power plants, atomic energy and new energies in accordance with the regulations

Program, Budget and Accounting Commission: Performs assigned duties within the scope of the program, budget, program and budget supervision, the Court of Accounts and the financial affairs of the Parliament, statistics and technical public services in accordance with the regulations

Health and Treatment Commission: Perform assigned duties in the areas of health, treatment, relief, welfare, social security and social insurance, and the Red Crescent in accordance with the regulations.

Internal Affairs and Councils Commission: Perform assigned duties in the areas of internal policy, councils, non-development municipal affairs, and civil registration in accordance with the regulations.

Industries and Mines Commission: Perform assigned duties within the scope of industries, post, telecommunications, mines, petrochemicals, aerospace and communications industries in accordance with the regulations.

Civil Engineering Commission: Perform assigned duties within the scope of roads and transportation, housing, civil engineering, urban and rural development, and municipal and village development affairs in accordance with the regulations.

Cultural Commission: To carry out assigned duties within the scope of culture and art, guidance and advertising, broadcasting, and mass communications, physical education, youth, women, and family in accordance with the regulations

Judicial and Legal Commission: To carry out assigned duties within the scope of justice and law, formed in accordance with the regulations.

Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources, and Environment Commission

Each of the specialized committees of the Parliament, which are formed in accordance with the regulations, has the following duties and powers within its specialized scope:

·       Reviewing the projects and bills referred and reporting them to the Islamic Consultative Assembly

·       Reviewing and approving the drafts and bills as well as approving the permanent statutes of organizations, companies and institutions of the state or affiliated with the state in accordance with Article 85 of the Constitution

·       Reviewing requests for investigations and inquiries.

·       Reviewing the questions of the representatives to the President and the ministers

·       Reviewing the cases referred from the development plan and annual budget bills and reporting them to the consolidation commission

·       Gaining information on the quality of the administration of state affairs, receiving and reviewing performance and supervisory reports on the implementation of laws related to the relevant agencies.

·       Preparing case and annual reports on the executive affairs of the agencies and the implementation of laws, especially the law on the development plan and annual budget, and presenting positive and negative points and suggesting ways to amend it, and submitting the report to the parliament for reading.

Organizational Structure of the Parliament

In terms of organization, four institutions are subordinate to the Islamic Consultative Assembly: the Parliamentary Research Center, the Court of Accounts, the Islamic Research Center, and the Library, Museum, and Documentation Center. In addition to the aforementioned institutions, the Parliament has three deputy departments: oversight, legislation, and executive.Organizational Structure of the Parliament, Comprehensive Information Database of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Retrieved March 17, 2025,from https://www.parliran.ir.

Deputy for Supervision

Although the responsibility of supervision is assigned to the members of parliament according to the constitution, due to the volume of time the members have to work, such as following up on various issues in the constituencies and solving people's problems, public meetings, meetings with officials, and mandatory presence in the parliament and specialized commissions, so there should be less opportunity for representatives to specialize in the issue of oversight. With this reasoning, the parliament has a deputy oversight office to follow up on issues in a more specialized manner.

Deputy of Laws

The legislative process in the Islamic Consultative Assembly begins with the presentation of a bill in the open chamber of the Assembly and ends with the publication of the laws notified to the government in the official gazette. The series of measures in this process are carried out in the Deputy of Supervision. This deputy has three general departments: the General Department of Law Compilation, the General Department of Commissions, Chamber and Advisors, and the General Department of Documents and Legal Revision.

Executive Vice President

The administrative activities of the parliament are under the supervision of this vice president.

International Affairs Office

Given the scope of diplomatic activities of the legislature and the pursuit of issues related to parliamentary diplomacy, the International Affairs Office of the Parliament has been established.

Duties and Powers of the Islamic Consultative Assembly

The most important discussion about the Islamic Consultative Assembly is related to the scope of duties and powers, or in other words, the competences of this popular institution; the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran has assigned the Islamic Consultative Assembly duties and powers, which include:

• Establishing and interpreting ordinary laws
• Based on Articles 71 and 73 of the Constitution, legislating and approving ordinary laws and interpreting them in the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the duties of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Evaluating and monitoring the affairs of the country is another of the duties of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. This type of monitoring, on the one hand, expresses the relationship of this power with the executive branch, and on the other hand, is a clear manifestation of the exercise of people's sovereignty in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is carried out in the following two ways:

Informative oversight

In the sense that the people's representatives in the parliament have the right to be informed about the working process of the executive and judicial institutions. This awareness is obtained through public information, reminders, questions, investigations and investigations, which is foreseen in Article 78 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Consent supervision

This means that some legal acts are carried out under the direct supervision and with the approval and discretion of the supervisor and have no legal validity without the supervisor's consent. These cases include:Nazar-pour,Mahdi(2008).Introduction to the Islamic Republic of Iran system,Qom:Zamzam Hedayat.

Establishment Supervision: A type of approval supervision by the Islamic Consultative Assembly over the executive branch is establishment supervision over the commencement of government work; meaning that after electing ministers and before taking any action, the president must obtain the vote of confidence of the Assembly for each of them. In other words, the representatives of the Assembly must supervise the formation of the government and give them a positive or negative vote based on the programs of each of the introduced individuals, their moral, practical and experimental qualifications, and scientific qualifications.

Political Supervision: The Parliament always monitors the political behavior and actions of members of the executive branch. This type of supervision arises from the responsibility of the President, the Cabinet, or each minister individually in face of  the Parliament, which is mentioned in Articles 122, 134, and 137 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Financial Supervision: The financial supervision of the Parliament over the Executive Branch takes place in two forms: First, the approval of the budget, which is carried out based on Article 52 of the Constitution. According to this principle, the annual budget of the country, after being prepared and approved by the government, is sent to the Parliament for final approval. Second, supervision of the precise implementation of the annual budget, which is carried out through the Court of Accounts. According to Articles 54 and 55 of the Constitution, the Court of Accounts is established under the direct supervision of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

This Court examines all accounts of ministries, institutions, government companies and other agencies that use the country's budget to ensure that no expenditure exceeds the approved appropriations and that each budget is spent in its proper place. The Court of Accounts collects the relevant accounts, documents and records in accordance with the law and submits the budget disbursement report each year, along with its opinions, to the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

Of course, the aforementioned principles 54 and 55 are silent on the approval of the budget allocation report, but this report is currently being approved by the representatives.

Other matters: In addition to the above, all international treaties, articles, agreements and agreements, minor border reforms, establishment of martial law and restrictions during wartime and emergencies, receipt and granting of loans or domestic and foreign grants by the government, employment of foreign experts in necessary cases,the transfer of government buildings and property that is of national interest; and the approval of the settlement of disputes or their referral to arbitration regarding public and government property where the party to the dispute is a foreign party, and important domestic cases, must be approved by the Parliament.

Number of Representatives

The number of representatives in the parliament is 290, and the increase in its number is based on Article 64 of the Constitution. Of the total number of representatives, five are from religious minorities, in the following order: Zoroastrians and Kilims, one representative each, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, one representative each, and Armenian Christians of the South and North, one representative each.Election Law of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Guardian Council. Retrieved March 17, 2025,from https://www.shora-gc.ir/fa/news/5730.

Speakers and periods of the Parliament

The first Parliament from May 1980 to May 1984, chaired by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

The second Parliament from May 1984 to May 1988, chaired by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

The third Parliament from May 1988 to May 1992, chaired by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and then by Mahdi Karroubi

The fourth Parliament from May 1992 to May 1996, chaired by Ali Akbar Nategh  Nouri

The Fifth Parliament from May 1996 to May 2000, chaired by Ali Akbar Nategh  Nouri.

The Sixth Parliament from May 2000 to May 2004, chaired by Mahdi Karroubi.

The Seventh Parliament from May 2004 to May 2008, chaired by Gholam Ali Haddad Adel.

The Eighth Parliament from May 2008 to May 2012, chaired by Ali Larijani.

The Ninth Parliament from May 2012 to May 2016, chaired by Ali Larijani.

Tenth Parliament from May 2016 to May 2020, chaired by Ali Larijani

Eleventh Parliament from May 2020 to May 2024, chaired by Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf

Twelfth Parliament from May 2024  to ………,chaired by Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf

Parliament   in brief

Current Speaker: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf

Former Speakers:Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,Mahdi Karroubi,Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri,Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel,Ali Larijani,Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf

Objectives:

•         Enactment and interpretation of ordinary laws

•         Supervision over the implementation of laws

Affiliation: Islamic Republic of Iran

Website: https://www.parliran.ir