1996 Iranian legislative election
{{short description|none}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1996 Iranian legislative election
| country = Iran
| type = legislative
| vote_type = Popular
| party_colour =
| party_name =
| alliance_name =
| previous_year = 1992
| election_date = 8 March and 19 April 1996
| next_year = 2000
| votes_for_election =
| needed_votes =
| seats_for_election = All 270 seats of Islamic Consultative Assembly
| majority_seats = 135
| image1 = 150x150px
| leader1 = Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani
| party1 = Combatant Clergy Association
and allies
| alliance1 =
| leaders_seat1 = Did not stand
| seats1 = 90≈150
| colour1 = 009801
| image2 = 150x150px
| party2 = Executives of Construction
and allies
| leader2 = Gholamhossein Karbaschi
| alliance2 =
| leaders_seat2 = Did not stand
| seats2 = 60≈80
| colour2 = E11123
| image3 = 150x150px
| party3 = Association of Combatant Clerics
and allies
| leader3 = Mehdi Karoubi
| alliance3 =
| leaders_seat3 = Did not stand
| seats3 = 30≈80
| colour3 = 068CDA
| title = Speaker
| before_election = Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri
| before_party = CCA
| after_election = Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri
| after_party = CCA
| map_image = National Consultative Assembly of Iran following the 1996 election
| map_caption = Composition of the Assembly following the election
}}
Parliamentary elections were held in Iran on 8 March 1996, with a second round on 19 April. The Combatant Clergy Association and its allies emerged as the largest bloc in the Majlis, winning 110 of the 270 seats.
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, Zorastrians, Armenians from the north and south of the country and one jointly elected by Assyrians.[http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/IRAN_1988_E.PDF Iran] IPU
The elections were conducted using a two-round system, with the number of candidates progressing to the second round being double the number of seats available. Candidates required an absolute majority to win a seat in the first round, and plurality to win in the second round. However, in this election, minimum percentages for candidates to be elected in first round was lowered to 33.33% (one-third of votes).
Campaign
A total of 3,726 candidates contested the elections, including around 326 women. 145 seats were won in the first round of voting.[http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2149_96.htm Elections held in 1996] IPU
Main groups contesting in the elections were:{{cite news|last=Beheshti|first=Ebrahim|language=fa|url=http://iran-newspaper.com/Newspaper/BlockPrint/109221|title= گزارش "ایران" از صفآرایی گروههای سیاسی در ۹ دوره انتخابات مجلس|newspaper=Iran|access-date=30 March 2016|date=4 January 2016|orig-year=14 Dey 1394|id=109221|number=6116}}
- Combatant Clergy Association and Islamic Aligned Organizations ('traditional' right-wing)
- Executives of Construction Party ('modern' right-wing)
- Association for Defence of Revolution Values ('neocon' right-wing)
- Association of Combatant Clerics ('traditional' left-wing)
- Coalition of Imam's Line groups ('radical' left-wing)
15 Freedom Movement members presented themselves as candidates and only 4 of them made it through initial vetting, 3 of whom were excluded before polling day. The organization announced its intention to withdraw from the election. The election was boycotted by the National Front and Nation Party.{{citation|title=Human Rights Watch World Report 1997: Events of 1996|year=1996|publisher=Human Rights Watch|page=282|isbn=9781564322074|chapter=IRAN}}
Results
Both conservatives and reformers claimed a 70 percent majority after the first round and also claimed independents as supporters.{{citation|url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/a-background-to-irans-forthcoming-majlis-elections|title=A Background to Iran's Forthcoming Majlis Elections|author=Guy Engelman|type=PolicyWatch|number=436|date=2 February 2000|work=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy|access-date=29 August 2017}}
;Salam newspaper
According to Salam, Executives of Construction and Imam's Line Groups won shared 120 parliamentary seats.Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iran: The National Kargozaran-Sazandegi Party; political view, its leaders, branches, and participation in any election in Iran (1998), 19 February 2002, IRN38586.E, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be498.html [accessed 10 June 2016]
;Adelkhah (1999)
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Faction !Seats | |
| align=left|Right | 90 to 100 |
| align=left|Executives of Construction | 70 to 80 |
| align=left|Left | about 40 |
| colspan=4 align=left|Source: Adelkhah{{citation|title=Being Modern in Iran|author=Fariba Adelkhah |author-link1=Fariba Adelkhah
|series=CERI series in comparative politics and international studies|publisher=C. Hurst & Co. Publishers|year=1999|page=85}} |
; Nohlen et al (2001)
:In the following table, the Independents are counted as "allies".
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Party !Seats !+/– | ||
| align=left|Combatant Clergy Association and allies | 110 | –40 |
| align=left|Combatant Clerics of Tehran and allies | 80 | +80 |
| align=left|Executives of Construction Party and allies | 80 | New |
| align=left|Total||270||0 | ||
|---|---|---|
| colspan=5 align=left|Source: Nohlen et al.{{cite book|first1=Dieter|last1=Nohlen|author-link1=Dieter Nohlen|first2=Florian|last2=Grotz|first3=Christof |last3=Hartmann |year=2001|title=Elections in Asia: A Data Handbook|chapter=Iran|volume=I|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=68, 74|isbn=978-0-19-924958-9}} |
; Kazemzadeh (2008)
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Faction !Seats | |
| align=left|Right-wing hardliners | 150 |
| align=left|Rafsanjani and Executives of Construction | 15–60 |
| align=left|Left-wing coalition of Imam's Line | 30 |
| align=left|Independents | 30 |
| align=left|Total||270 | |
|---|---|
| colspan=4 align=left|Source: Kazemzadeh{{Citation|author=Masoud Kazemzadeh|title= Intra-Elite Factionalism and the 2004 Majles Elections in Iran|journal=Middle Eastern Studies|year=2008|volume=44|number=2|doi=10.1080/00263200701874867|pages=189–214|via=Taylor and Francis Online {{subscription required}}|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/fmes20|url-access=subscription}} |