Iranian reformists are celebrating an unprecedented victory in last week’s election, earning 83 of the 280 Parliamentary seats as well as making significant gains in the country’s clerical body; the Assembly of Experts.
The principle reformist party, the Persuasive Coalition of Reformists, fulfilled widely anticipated changes in Iran’s Parliamentary and Clerical bodies winning an unprecedented majority. The reformists earned 51 more seats than previously held, while the country’s conservative party, the Principlists Coalition lost their formerly held majority of 157 seats, winning only 64 seats.
The election, held on 26 February 2016, was expected to hold significant changes for the infamously aggressive Islamic Republic following the landmark nuclear agreement with western powers. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who is widely considered as politically moderate, has led considerable
Iran is a theoretically managed democracy with both a Supreme Leader who is the head of state and a president who is head of government. The Islamic Republic also has a democratically elected Parliament, known as the Majlis, as well an elected clerical body called the Assembly of Experts, who will appoint the next Supreme Leader.
International relations expert Jayan Morar says the elections will have long-term implications for the Islamic Republic, specifically the states place within the international environment.
“Realistically there probably won’t be an overhaul of domestic policy. Fundamentally Iran is further right than what we consider progressive ideology in a Western democracy. However, the way in which Iran operates internationally will be where we see the real change. The nuclear deal was a considerable step forward and that was led by [Iranian President Hassan] Rouhani, traditionally we haven’t seen a President in Iran have this much influence, and now that he has support from the legislative and clerical branches progressive foreign policy will be a lot approachable for the administration.”