med)
Constitution:
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and
eliminate the prime ministership
Legal system:
the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
National holiday:
Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
Political parties and leaders:
there are at least 18 licensed parties; the three most important are -
Tehran Militant Clergy Association, Mohammad Reza MAHDAVI-KANI; Militant
Clerics Association, Mehdi MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar
MUSAVI-KHOINIHA; Fedaiyin Islam Organization, Sadeq KHALKHALI
Other political or pressure groups:
groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Hizballah,
Hojjatiyeh Society, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students
Following the Line of the Imam; armed political groups that have been almost
completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq
Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Kurdish Democratic Party; the Society
for the Defense of Freedom
Suffrage:
15 years of age; universal
Elections:
President:
last held July 1989 (next to be held 11 June 1993); results - Ali Akbar
HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI was elected with only token opposition
Islamic Consultative Assembly:
last held 8 April 1992 (next to be held April 1996); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (270 seats total) number of seats by party NA
Executive branch:
supreme leader (velay-t-e faqih), president, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

*Iran, Government

Leaders:
Supreme Leader and functional Chief of State:
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali HOSEINI-KHAMENEI (since 4
June 1989)
Head of Government:
President Ali Akbar HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI (since 3 August 1989)
Member of:
CCC, CP, ESCAP, ECO, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, DC
chancery:
Iranian Interests Section, 2209 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
(202) 965-4990
US diplomatic representation:
protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Flag:
three equal horizontal