1980 Iranian legislative election

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1980 Iranian legislative election
Flag of Iran (1964).svg
  1975 14 March and 9 May 1980 1984  

All 270 seats to the National Consultative Assembly
136 seats are needed for a majority
Registered20,758,391 [1]
Turnout52.14% [1]
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Mohammad Beheshti 1980.jpg Abolhassan Banisadr portrait 1980 1.jpg PM Bazargan photographed during a Television program - 1979.jpg
Leader Mohammad Beheshti Abolhassan Banisadr Mehdi Bazargan
Party
Alliance Grand Coalition President Office Eponym Group
Leader's seatDid not StandDid not Stand Tehran, Rey and Shemiranat
Seats won853320
Percentage31.48%12.12%7.40%

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  KarimSanjabi.jpg Masoud Rajavi 1970's.jpg Kianouri1981.jpeg
Leader Karim Sanjabi Massoud Rajavi Noureddin Kianouri
Party People's Mujahedin Tudeh Party
Alliance National Front Progressive Revolutionary Candidates
Leader's seat Kermanshah (withdrew) Tehran, Rey and Shemiranat (defeated) Tehran, Rey and Shemiranat (defeated)
Seats won4 [lower-alpha 1] 00
Percentage1.48%0%0%

National Consultative Assembly of Iran following the 1980 election.svg
Composition of the Assembly following the election

Head of government before election

Abolhassan Banisadr (Temporarily, as First Secretary of the Council of the Islamic Revolution)
Independent

Contents

Elected Prime Minister

Mohammad-Ali Rajai
Islamic Republican Party

Parliamentary elections were held in Iran on 13 March 1980, with a second round on 9 May. [4] They were the first elections to the Majlis since the overthrow of the Shah, and were contested to a considerable degree on a party basis. [5]

It resulted in a victory for the Islamic Republican Party, which won 85 of the 270 seats, whilst its allies won a further 45. [4] The party, joined by smaller Islamist groups in the Grand coalition was a highly organized force and put up candidates in most constituencies and dominated the campaigns, especially in the provinces. [6]

President Abolhassan Banisadr and his followers, presented dozens of candidates in Tehran and provinces under the list Office for the Cooperation of the People with the President. [6]

The Freedom Movement of Iran which failed to organize effectively, fielded at most only 40 candidates under the banner of Eponym Group [6] and won about 20 seats. [5]

Among National Front candidates, four won the election but their credentials was rejected on the grounds such as being "landlord" or "American agent" and they were not allowed to take their seat. Its leader Karim Sanjabi withdrew in the run-off because of the alleged "irregularities". [2] [3]

Under the name Progressive Revolutionary Candidates list, People's Mujahedin of Iran endorsed 127 nominees nationwide and the official counts gave them as much as 20% of the votes in some constituencies, however they failed to win any seats. Its leader Massoud Rajavi received 531,943 votes in Tehran but was defeated in the run-offs. [7]

Tudeh Party lacked popularity and did poorly, [8] with their highest ranked candidate in Tehran receiving only some 100,000 votes. The party was unable to persuade other left-wing groups to unite. [9]

Electoral system

The constitution approved in a December 1979 referendum provided for a 270-seat Majlis, with five seats reserved for minority groups including Jews, Zoroastrians, Armenians from the north and south of the country and one jointly elected by Assyrians and Chaldeans. [10]

As there was no electoral law at the time of the elections, they were held in accordance with a proposal from the Ministry of the Interior and approved by the Council of the Revolution. [10] However, the elections were postponed in 23 constituencies in Kurdistan Province and Sistan and Balochistan Province. [10]

Results

137 of the elected MPs were clerics. [11]

Ettela'at newspaper (1980)
Fraction%Seats
Independents42.59%115
Grand Coalition 31.48%85
Office for the Cooperation of the People with the President 12.12%33
Eponym Group 7.40%20
Total100%270
Source: Ettela'at [12]
Thapar (1980)
CampTotal seats
Islamic Republican Party 130
Supporters of Banisadr (claimed)74
Independents, Centrists and Seculars38
Vacant28
Total242
Source: R. S. Thapar [13]
Abrahamian (1989)
FractionSeats
Islamic Republican Party 120
Pro-Banisadr 33
Independents33
Freedom Movement 20
National Front 5
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan 2
Total216
Source: Abrahamian [14]
Nohlen et al (2001)
PartyVotes%Seats
Islamic Republican Party 85
Islamic Republican Party allies45
Independents140
Invalid/blank votes
Total10,874,470100270
Registered voters/turnout21,749,00050.00
Source: Nohlen et al [4]

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References

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