10 Notable Sessions of the Islamic Consultative Assembly

The history of the Iranian Parliament since the Islamic Revolution has seen few days that were not newsworthy. From the very first parliamentary session to the current ninth term, there have been days when significant and sometimes historic events occurred within this legislative body of Iran. Here, we review 10 notable sessions from various periods of the Iranian Parliament. On June 21, 1981, the Iranian Parliament continued discussions regarding the motion of incompetence against Abolhassan Banisadr, the President. The political atmosphere in Iran is tense, and the differences among various political groups stemming from the 1979 Revolution have reached their peak. A day earlier, Tehran and several other cities witnessed heavy street clashes between supporters of the President, including the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, and security forces close to Ayatollah Khomeini. In a parliament where the majority supports the leader, representatives backing the President do not even have the opportunity to attend the session reviewing his dismissal, while his opponents deliver passionate speeches. One of the most prominent opponents is Ali Hosseini Khamenei: 'Mr. Banisadr has repeatedly disrespected legal institutions, thereby undermining his own legitimacy.' Ultimately, the urgent motion for the President's dismissal is approved with 177 votes in favor, one against, and 12 abstentions. On October 7, 1981, months after Banisadr's dismissal, the political violence in Iran has escalated with multiple bombings and the deaths of high-ranking officials. News of assassinations and executions is heard daily. In this atmosphere, Mehdi Bazargan, the Secretary-General of the Iran Freedom Movement, is one of the few representatives opposing the government's policies who still attends the Parliament. He has prepared a speech criticizing the government's actions against opponents and the necessity of tolerance and avoidance of violence. However, he can only read parts of it as shouts of protest and attacks on the speaker's podium from opponents yelling 'Death to Bazargan' prevent him from finishing his speech: 'And the dignity and legitimacy of Islam, which is being tarnished in the world...' Such behaviors are repeated towards opposition representatives until the end of the first Parliament. On October 13, 1985, a vote of confidence session for Mir Hossein Mousavi, the Prime Minister introduced by then-President Ali Khamenei, takes place. Khamenei had previously expressed his opposition to Mousavi's selection. However, Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Republic, opposes this decision and insists on Mousavi remaining in his position. He even publicly expresses this opinion. Nevertheless, in the vote of confidence session, 99 representatives of the second Parliament oppose Mousavi's premiership. Later, Khamenei states that considering him, the number of opponents of the Islamic Republic leader's opinion was one hundred. On June 30, 1989, a few weeks have passed since the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. The political atmosphere is still affected by this event and the determination of his successor. On the agenda of the Parliament is a pre-speech by the young representative from Karaj, Majid Shar'pasand, who is a war-wounded veteran and the brother of two casualties from the Iran-Iraq War. However, unexpectedly, his speech turns into a critical resignation statement. He raises objections such as the lack of conditions and security to perform legal duties, fundamental ambiguities and questions regarding the future governance, and severe concerns about the political future of the country due to some constitutional changes. Reactions begin in that very session, and attacks against Shar'pasand force him to leave the Parliament. In the next session, 154 representatives write a letter against him, and Mehdi Karroubi, the then Deputy Speaker, also delivers a harsh speech against him. 191 representatives out of 197 present vote in favor of his resignation, and demonstrations are held in Karaj against him. However, this is not the end of the reactions. Some time later, Majid Shar'pasand is arrested, and after his release, he is completely banned from participating in the political scene. On May 1, 1999, Attaollah Mohajerani, one of the most prominent ministers of reformist President Mohammad Khatami, faces severe criticism from conservative factions that hold the majority in the fifth Parliament. They had previously impeached and dismissed another prominent minister of Khatami's government, Abdollah Nouri, and are now seeking to eliminate Mohajerani: 'However, overall, I expected that after all the discussions regarding the impeachment, many of the issues raised would not require additional documents to be distributed among the honorable representatives.' In a lengthy session where the President prefers not to attend, contrary to expectations, Mohajerani's eloquence and strong defenses help him gain the confidence of the Parliament against his opponents. Although a year later, he is forced to resign under pressure. On August 7, 2000, months have passed since the significant victory of reformists in the sixth parliamentary elections, and as one of their first actions, they bring a two-urgent bill on press law, which was passed in the last days of the previous Parliament, to the public session. All eyes are on the Parliament. However, Mehdi Karroubi, the then Speaker, removes this bill from the agenda by a decree from the Supreme Leader. Protests from some representatives against this decision are fruitless. On February 1, 2004, the sit-in of representatives protesting the Guardian Council's rejection of many of their qualifications continues without result, and as it becomes clear that the Supreme Leader is also unwilling to postpone the parliamentary elections, 139 representatives collectively resign in protest against this situation. On November 5, 2008, Ali Kordan, the former Deputy Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization and one of the staunchest defenders of the Supreme Leader, is the Minister of Interior in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, but allegations about his fake educational degree impact the political and media atmosphere. The eighth Parliament, which is entirely controlled by conservatives, decides to impeach him. The impeachment session turns into a scene of fierce debate between representatives in favor and Kordan: 'You should apologize to the nation. By God, Mr. Kordan, part of that reputation and dignity is restored here. There is no mention of any kind of education in front of the degree. It becomes a doctorate 13 months later.' The impeachment is approved by a large majority, while the then-President deems it illegal. On February 15, 2011, a day after the call from Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the protests following the 2009 elections, in solidarity with the developments in Egypt and Tunisia, clashes have occurred in Tehran. These clashes have been affecting the political atmosphere of the country for two years. Gholamali Haddad-Adel, in his pre-speech remarks, makes harsh statements against the leaders of the opposition, and following that, a large number of present representatives shout 'Death to Khatami, Mousavi, and Karroubi,' with some even calling for their execution. On February 3, 2013, the impeachment of Abdolreza Sheikh al-Islam, the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare in Ahmadinejad's second government, is on the Parliament's agenda, which is controlled by conservatives. Ahmadinejad, while defending his minister, accuses Ali Larijani's brother of abusing power for economic interests by showing a recorded video. This accusation provokes a strong reaction from the Speaker of the Parliament, leading to a very heated verbal dispute between the leaders of the two branches of the Islamic Republic at that time. The events of this Parliament session later become known in media literature as the 'Black Sunday of Parliament.' Babak Ghafouri Azar is the producer of 'Scene' at Radio Farda and follows developments in the cinema and theater sector. He has joined Radio Farda since 2010 and has published various investigative reports on the events of the first decade of the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Babak Ghafouri Azar began journalism in Iran in 2001.