The Islamic Republican Party (IRP; , also translated Islamic Republic Party) was the sole ruling party of Iran from 1980 to 1987. It succeeded the Rastakhiz Party, the former ruling party during the Pahlavi era. It was formed to assist the Iranian Revolution and Ruhollah Khomeini in their goal to establish theocracy in Iran. It was disbanded in 1987 due to internal conflicts.
Founders and characteristics The party was formed just two weeks following the revolution upon the request of Ayatollah Khomeini. Five cofounders of the party were Mohammad Javad Bahonar, Mohammad Beheshti, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ali Khamenei, and Abdolkarim Mousavi-Ardabili. Early members of the central committee of the party, in addition to founding members, were Hassan Ayat, Asadollah Badamchiyan, Abdullah Jasbi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Habibollah Askar Oladi, Sayyed Mahmoud Kashani, Mahdi Araghi, and Ali Derakhshan. The party had three general secretaries: Beheshti, Bahonar and Khamenei.
The party has been said to be distinguished by "its strong clerical component, its loyalty to Khomeini, its strong animosity to the liberal political movements, and its tendency to support the revolutionary organizations", such as the Komiteh. Policies it supported included the state takeover of large capital enterprises, the establishment of an Islamic cultural and university system, and programs to assist the poor.Bakhash, Reign of the Ayatollahs, (1984), p. 67 These revolutionary ayatollahs originally used the party to form a monopoly over the post-revolutionary theocratic Iranian state. In its struggle with civilian opponents, the party made use of its ties to the Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah.
Secretaries-general NameTenureRefMohammad Beheshti1979–1981Mohammad Javad Bahonar1981Ali Khamenei1981–1987
Causes of its dissolution
In the late 1980s, factionalism in the IRP intensified, the major issues being the Iran-Iraq War, whether to open up to foreign countries or remain isolated, and economic policies. Because all rival parties had been banned, the party "did almost nothing and had little incentive to."Keddie, Nikkie, Modern Iran, 2003, pp. 259-60 According to Ahmad Mneisi,"While unanimous on the idea of a theological state and united under the umbrella of one party, the Islamic Republican Party (IRP), [the religious right] differed on a number of issues, such as the extent to which religion is to take hold of political life (the Velayat-e Faqih debate).Mneisi, Ahmad. 2004. The Power shift within Iran's right wing Ahram, 5 July 2004
Daniel Brumberg argued that the IRP was dissolved to weaken popular Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi, as the party had become a stronghold of radical activism backing him in his dispute with President Ali Khamenei.Brumberg, Daniel, Reinventing Khomeini : The Struggle for Reform in Iran, University of Chicago Press, 2001, p. 134 Another report states that it was dissolved in May 1987 due to internal conflicts, and the party was disbanded upon joint proposal of Rafsanjani and Khamenei on 2 May 1987 when their proposal was endorsed by Khomeini.
1983 congress The party held its first congress in May 1983 and the members elected the 30-members central council as follows:
# Member (faction) Votes 1 Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (R) 647 2 Ali Khamenei (R) 646 3 Mohammad Mehdi Rabbani Amlashi (R) 637 4 Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani (R) 634 5 Ali Akbar Velayati (R) 624 6 Abbas Vaez Tabasi (R) 623 7 Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri (R) 612 8 Ali Akbar Parvaresh (R) 589 9 Abbas Sheibani (R) 579 10 Mohamma Reza Beheshti (L) 578 11 Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi (R) 574 12 Masih Mohajeri (L) 570 13 Hassan Ghafourifard (R) 550 14 Mir-Hossein Mousavi (L) 554 15 Habibollah Asgaroladi (R) 542
# Member (faction) Votes 16 Mohsen Doagou Feizabaadi (R) 500 17 Abolghasem Sarhaddizadeh (L) 499 18 Gholamhossein Sharifkhani 460 19 Mohammad Reza Bahonar (R) 453 20 Asadollah Lajevardi (R) 430 21 Asadollah Badamchian (R) 428 22 Javad Mansouri (L) 414 23 Reza Zavare'i (R) 410 24 Abdollah Jassbi (R) 375 25 Morteza Nabavi (R) 372 26 Saeed Amani (R) 310 27 Mohieddin Fazel Harandi (R) 276 28 Mostafa Mir-Salim (R) 260 29 Mohammad-Hossein Asgharnia 231 30 Javad Eje'i (L) 223
Allied organizations The following organizations formed an alliance with the party: Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization Islamic Coalition Party Combatant Clergy Association Worker House
Electoral history
Deputy supreme leadership elections +ElectionMain candidateVotes%Result1985Hussein-Ali Montazeri1st
Presidential elections ElectionMain candidateVotes%Result1980Hassan Habibi674,859 3.35 3rd1981, JulyMohammad-Ali Rajai12,779,05087.691st1981, OctoberAli Khamenei16,007,07295.011st1985Ali Khamenei12,203,87087.901st
Parliamentary elections ElectionParty leaderSeats+/–Position1980Mohammad Beheshti1st1984 Ali Khamenei 45 1st
See also List of largest political parties
References