Iran Marks Islamic Republic Day

Iran commemorates the 34th anniversary of a referendum in which Iranians voted for the establishment of the Islamic Republic following the collapse of the Shah’s regime. In a two-day referendum held on 30-31 March 1979, Iranians overwhelmingly voted “yes” to establish an Islamic Republic.

Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian revolution, had famously said that a new generation of Iranians needed a referendum because the regime they had was not of their choosing but that of their parents and grandparents. Now after more than three decades after the referendum, a new generation of Iranians has come to replace their parents and grandparents. Is it the time then for a new referendum?

File photo: Overwhelming majority of Iranians voted in favor of the establishment of the Islamic Republic. March 1979 (IRNA)

Turkish Referendum

The Turkish people on Sunday approved a referendum on sweeping changes to their country’s constitution. The key provisions:

EQUALITY - Strengthens gender equality and bars discrimination against children, elderly, the disabled and veterans.

PRIVACY - Recognizes the right to protection of personal information and access to official personal records.

FREEDOMS - Restricts travel bans imposed on individuals.

LABOR - Allows membership in more than one union in a workplace. Recognizes the right to collective bargaining for civil servants and other state employees. Removes bans on politically motivated strikes.

MILITARY - Gives officers fired by the military the right to appeal. Empowers civilian courts to try military personnel for crimes against state security and the constitutional order. Opens the way for the prosecution of Turkey's 1980 military coup leaders.

JUDICIARY – Gives power to parliament to appoint some of the members of the Constitutional Court. A panel of judges had selected all members until now. The secular parties strongly opposed this provision fearing the selection of non-secular judges by the parliament.

Source: AP

Khatami Calls for National Referendum

In a bold challenge to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, former president Mohammad Khatami today called for a national referendum on last month’s disputed presidential election. Khamenie has dismissed claims that the election was rigged.

The Islamic Republic constitution does allow national referendums on vital political issues.

“If the majority of people accept the situation, we also will accept it,” said Khatami, referring to a decision made through the national referendum.

Khatami also praised Ayatollah Rafsanjani’s Friday Prayer’s Sermon and said a referendum would help achieve Rafsanjani’s goal of restoring trust in the country.

Call for National Referendum on Disputed Election

The Association of Combatant Clerics (“majma-e rowhaniyun-e mobarez”), a political gathering of moderate/reformist clerics in Iran, today called for a national referendum to settle the current political deadlock over the results of the recent presidential elections.

The constitution of the Islamic Republic does allow national referendums to settle the vital issues and the vehicle have been used in the past. The call by the cleric body, however, represents the first time national referendum mechanism has been suggested to end the political impasse.