Baku, Azerbaijan, June 9
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian parliament will review a new law on the activities of the parties and political associations in the near future, which, if approved, will replace the existing party law enacted thirty years ago.
The parliament's commission on Councils and Internal Affairs has finalized reviewing the new plan and presented it to the presidium board of the Parliament, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on June 9.
According to the draft plan, which includes 30 articles, the legal parties will participate in the elections with their candidates and the electoral system of Iran will switch to a party-based system.
Switching to a party-based system will allow parties in Iran to present their candidates for participation in parliamentary, presidential, municipal elections.
The draft plan also contains key provisions such as a description of persons banned from participation in political parties and associations in Iran and the process by which demonstrations by political parties may be held.
Each party should have at least 300 members and establish provincial commissions at two third of the country's provinces, according to the plan.
In last August Iranian president Hassan Rouhani expressed sorrow about country not having any true political parties.
There are no political wings in its real meaning in Iran, he said, adding that, some groups gathered together, but they are active just in election periods.
It should be recalled that, legal political groups in Iran are categorized as reformist groups and conservative groups.
During last president elections in Iran (June 14, 2013), Iranian reformist groups such as Mosharekat Front, Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization, the Mordomsalari Party (Democratic Party) and Kargozaran supported Rouhani, who eventually won the presidential elections.
Such groups as: Combatant Clergy Association, Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran, Islamic Coalition Party, Ansar-e Hezbollah, Society of Devotees of the Islamic Revolution can be categorized as conservative groups in Iran.
The country's main reformist parties such as Mosharekat Front and Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization banned after 2009 presidential election protests.