MPs Discuss Nine Post-Revolution Parliaments

Hessam Emami

“Nine parliaments explained by former MPs” was attended by eight figures representing each Islamic Consultative Assembly, known as the Majlis, except for a representative of the second parliament which failed to show up. Here’s a summary of the event:

Hujjat ul-Islam Hadi Ghaffari, the first speaker at the event, was an MP in the first Islamic Consultative Assembly which is known as the most diverse and liberally elected parliament. He called the novelty of the legislative moves among the political blocs and the revolutionary spirit as two major features of the first parliament. Many of the parliamentarians used to be “political prisoners” under the rule of the Shah. “I read from Mr. Rouhani’s remarks: The less tough the vetting has been, the more powerful the parliament we have had. As Mr. Motahhari has constantly stated in the 8^th and 9^th parliaments, when the 1^st Majlis took form before the existence of the Guardian Council, only those with great political, economic or financial corruptions or those who were considered as spies were disqualified. Therefore, we saw an ideally strong parliament in the period,” he said.“We should move toward a system where intellectual despotism cannot be dominant,” he added.

Morteza Alviri, an MP in the third parliament which was dominated by leftists, called the ratification of the first Development Plan in the parliament as an open economy plan approved in a leftist Majlis. He said Iran experienced its highest economic growth rate, 7.3 percent, under the first Development Plan during the 3^rd parliamentary term.

Mohsen Yahyavi, a member of the 4^th Iranian parliament, agreed that the strongest parliament was the first but stressed that it was not because there was no Guardian Council but because “the atmosphere was revolutionary and well-known revolutionary figures were present.” Calling all the MPs in the 1^st to 5^th Majlis principlists, he criticized the 6^th parliament for failing to materialize public views regarding the Revolution. “After the sixth Majlis was formed, libertarianism and irreligion were established. They wanted to hand the country over to its enemies through their strikes. The minority did not approve and that explains why the 7^th Majlis took form,” Yahyavi said.“The stances were so harsh at the time, their masterminds are now constantly stressing that they are not seeking another sixth Majlis,” he added. The seventh and eighth parliaments were also principlist, he said. “However, the deviationists wanted to infiltrate the 9^th Majlis as the former President’s insiders had taken to the scene. They said they were in touch with Imam Mahdi and did whatever they wanted,” he noted. Yahyavi explained the process that led to their failure in taking the 9^th Majlis and concluded that the 9^th Majlis, the incumbent parliament, is principlist like the majority of its precedents. “The trend shows that the people’s views have not changed yet and hopefully the 10^th Majlis will be the same,” he said at the end of his remarks.

The fifth Majlis, dominated by rightists who famously impeached two of Mohammad Khatami’s ministers, Ata'ollah Mohajerani and Abdullah Nouri, was represented in the event by Hassan Ghafouri Fard. Ghafouri Fard called himself the only independent candidate who was elected. “The 1^st Majlis was one of the strongest parliaments. It was the presence of great figures such as the present Supreme Leader and Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani that made it strong,” he said.

Despite sweeping disqualifications, he does not see the Guardian Council as an impediment to the participation of individuals. “I do not believe the Guardian Council impedes the presence of individuals. In the (first) parliament, we did not have legislation experience but it was the strongest parliament because great figures were part of it. Later, when these great figures were appointed to other positions, the parliament was a little weakened but the youth and university professors came into the Majlis and good experiences occurred,” Ghafouri Fard added. He strongly condemned Ali Motahhari’s disqualification but stressed the fact that the Guardian Council is obliged to monitor elections according to the Constitution.

Elaheh Koulaei, a member of the sixth Majlis, constantly criticized over its alleged animosity with the establishment, reacted to Yahyavi’s remarks: “None of the first, sixth or ninth parliaments are going to be repeated. History does not go backwards. Everyone who tries to stop society and fails to see the society’s progress is doomed. Only those who can see and accept the realities will succeed,” she said.

“It cannot be claimed that there was no flaw in the sixth Majlis. However, if one sets partisan and political prejudices aside and takes into account the interests of the people, they cannot ignore the significance of the first and sixth parliaments,” she said, calling the sixth Majlis one of the most glorious terms in the history of the Islamic Republic’s parliaments.

“Figures show that economic activities significantly exceeded political ones in the sixth Majlis, with the political activities ranked fifth. Unfortunately however, IRIB and some anti-reform media have focused on the political aspect of the sixth Majlis from then on in order to avoid attention to the other measures, particularly in the economic sphere, undertaken during the parliament’s term,” Koulaei added.

She said acts passed and modifications made regarding women in the sixth Majlis have been working to some extent, providing the ground for positively effective measures in the following terms.

Hujjat ul-Islam Mahdi Tabatabaei, a member of the 7^th Majlis, told participants of the event the atmosphere in the seventh parliament was against the sixth. “Some would say we should eat simple food and avoid driving expensive cars. I disagreed with the plan, saying it would be of no use if you ride bicycles but fail to unravel the people’s problems,” he said referring to an initiative obliging simple life. He also noted that some members of the parliament did not want a cleric to be chosen as the speaker. Later in his remarks, he slammed the MPs’ support for Ahmadinejad during the ninth presidential term. “Ahmadinejad was not a political figure and did not know the basics of politics. When he took office, he created a situation the consequences of which will take more than 10 years to be resolved. He could not even handle a real estate agency but we see that the society was deceived despite all its strength,” he added.

Ali Motahhari, a prominent MP who is said to be disqualified for the upcoming poll, also defended the sixth Majlis. “Some call the sixth Majlis an inappropriate one and that is perhaps because of the propaganda against it. Except for the sit-in strike, the sixth Majlis was not an unsuccessful one. It took significant steps in implementing Chapter III of the Constitution and made noteworthy efforts in economic and cultural spheres,” he said. He went on to say one should not fear the formation of a parliament which is against the establishment. “The letter some of the 6^th Majlis MPs wrote to the Leader contained nothing bad and some of their predictions have now been realized,” he added. Referring to the questioning of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 8^th Majlis, he said it was one of the many flaws of the principlists. “When the President said he would not enforce the law, he should not have remained the President of the country even for an hour. But our friends said this administration was endorsed by the Leader and would not intervene,” he reiterated.

Laleh Eftekhari, an MP in the ninth Majlis, discussed the record track of the Rahrovan-e Velayat (Followers of the Leader) faction in the parliamentary term. “The principlist faction opened an umbrella for Muslims, non-Muslims, Shiites and Sunnis to gather. The other principlist factions as well as the reformist faction were working beside Rahrovan. Some good resolutions were passed. In the nuclear issue, the administration’s measure implementing the JCPOA had sparked concerns shared by the Supreme Leader. Thus, good steps were taken by the nation’s representatives regarding the prevention of cultural, economic and political infiltration,” she added.

At the end of the event, Fatemeh Karroubi, wife of Mahdi Karroubi, the former parliament speaker who is under house arrest after protests following a disputed 2009 presidential election, spoke briefly. “It is up to the people to judge parliamentary terms. Paradoxical remarks were made about parliaments and in particular the sixth Majlis that we will leave for the people to judge,” she said.