The President of Iran
The President of Iran is the head of the country’s government. Iran’s current President is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Although he is the head of the government, the President of Iran is not the head of Iran’s politician establishment.
The Supreme Leader, a religious figure who is selected by the Assembly of Experts, is the effective head of Iran’s political establishment. Despite the contrast with most republics, the President does fulfill many of the same functions as the Head of State of most countries.
In 1989, a change in the constitution removed the post of Prime Minister and merged these duties with those of the President’s. The President is currently the highest directly elected official in Iran and is responsible to the public’s opinion in ways that the Supreme Leader is not.
The President is independent in his decisions and in developing policies of the government, although his is responsible to the people and to the Supreme Leader.
The President nominates the members of government to the parliament. He has the power to dismiss any members of the government and passes bills to parliament. He also formulates the foreign policy through the National Security Council after seeking the approval of the Supreme Leader.
As per the constitution of Iran, the President can be removed from office in one of two ways. When a judge reports a criminal record for the president then the Supreme Leader has the authority to remove him from office.
Also if parliament decides the President’s politician ineligibility then the Supreme Leader can removed him from office. This law was first activated when parliament voted against the first President and Ayatollah Khomeini removed him from office.
The election term of the President of Iran is four years. The election is a national one by universal adult suffrage to those 18 years and older. The selection of candidates for the Presidential election is restricted to individuals who are approved by the Council of Guardians’ 12 members.
Half of the members on the council are appointed by the Supreme Leader. They are intended to preserve the values of the Islamic Republic.
There are qualifications in line for one to meet in order to be eligible to run for president.
First, the candidate must be male. He must also be a well known political figure of Muslim descent. He must be between 25 and 75 years old and possess no criminal record. He should also possess no record of government service under the Iranian Monarchy and be sworn loyal to the Islamic Republic.
Once the guidelines have been met, the Council has the power to veto candidates who they do not deem acceptable. Although others have criticized the approval process as a means for which the Council and Supreme Leader can ensure that only conservative Islamic fundamentalists can be elected as president, the council rejects this notion citing that reformists have been approved in prior elections.
They say instead that most candidates are simply not well known political figures, which is a requirement for candidacy.
Once chosen for candidacy, the President must win by a simple majority of the popular vote. Once in office, his term is 4 years, but he is eligible for a second term.