to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 18 February-NA April 2000 (next to be held NA
2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA; note - reformers
received 70% of the vote (170 seats), the conservatives received 30%
(45 seats), and independents (10 seats); 65 seats were up for runoff
election in April 2000

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: since President KHATAMI's election in
May 1997, several political parties have been licensed; Executives of
Construction; Followers of the Imam's Line and the Leader
(conservative); Islamic Coalition Association [Habibollah
ASQAR-OLADI]; Islamic Iran Solidarity Party; Islamic Partnership
Front; Militant Clerics Association ; Second
Khordad Front (pro-reform); Tehran Militant Clergy Association
Political pressure groups and leaders: active student groups include
the pro-reform "Organization for Strengthening Unity" and "the Union
of Islamic Student Societies'; groups that generally support the
Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Mojahedin of the Islamic
Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, and the
Islamic Coalition Association; opposition groups include the
Liberation Movement of Iran and the Nation of Iran party; armed
political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the
government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's
Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan; the Society for the
Defense of Freedom

International organization participation: CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO,
G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Iran has an
Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy, headed by Faramarz
FATH-NEJAD; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy,
2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: (202)
965-4990

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note - protecting power
in Iran is Switzerland

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white,
and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word
Allah) in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is
Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom
edge of the green band a