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| National Consultative Assembly (Majlis) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Consultative Assembly |
| Native name | Majles-e Showrā-ye Mellī |
| Legislature | Islamic Republic of Iran |
| House type | Unicameral |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Preceded by | Persian Constitutional Revolution |
| Leader1 type | Speaker |
| Leader1 | Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf |
| Members | 290 |
| Last election | 2020 Iranian legislative election |
| Meeting place | Sa'dabad Complex |
National Consultative Assembly (Majlis) The National Consultative Assembly, widely known as the Majlis, is the unicameral legislative body of the Islamic Republic of Iran with origins in the Persian Constitutional Revolution of 1905–1911. It has played central roles in constitutional development from the 1906 Persian Constitution through the 1979 Iranian Revolution to the current constitutional order established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The Majlis interacts with institutions such as the Guardian Council, the Assembly of Experts, the Expediency Discernment Council, and the President of Iran.
The Majlis was created after the Tobacco Protest and broader unrest culminating in the Persian Constitutional Revolution, producing the 1906 Persian Constitution and the first session of the Majlis in 1906 with figures like Sattar Khan and Bagher Khan. During the Pahlavi dynasty, the Majlis functioned under monarchic constraints imposed by Reza Shah and later Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, while engaging with events such as the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran and the 1953 Iranian coup d'état that toppled Mohammad Mossadegh. The 1979 Iranian Revolution dissolved the imperial structures and led to a new constitution validated by the Referendum on the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, after which the Majlis resumed under theocratic oversight connected to Velayat-e Faqih and institutions like the Guardian Council and the Constitutional Revolution of Iran legacy.
Under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran (1979), the Majlis holds lawmaking authority alongside limitations set by the Guardian Council and the oversight of the Supreme Leader of Iran. The Majlis drafts statutes, ratifies international treaties such as the Treaty of Amity precedents, approves the national budget submitted by the President of Iran, and can summon and question cabinet ministers including the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Iran) and the Minister of Petroleum (Iran). Its legislation must not conflict with principles articulated by the Islamic Consultative Assembly oversight bodies and can be referred to the Expediency Discernment Council in disputes with the Guardian Council.
The Majlis comprises 290 deputies elected from single- and multi-member constituencies across provinces including Tehran Province, Isfahan Province, Razavi Khorasan Province, and East Azerbaijan Province. Seats are allocated to ethnic and religious minorities such as Armenians in Iran, Assyrians in Iran, Zoroastrians in Iran, and Jews in Iran as recognized in the constitution. Eligibility and vetting are influenced by the Guardian Council which includes jurists appointed by the Supreme Leader of Iran and nominees by the Head of the Judiciary of Iran. Prominent members have included Ali Larijani, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, and Mehdi Karroubi.
Bills originate from deputies, the President of Iran, or commissions such as the Energy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Health and Medical Education Commission. Proposed legislation proceeds through committees, readings in plenum, and majority votes; contested measures are reviewed by the Guardian Council for compatibility with the constitution and Islamic law as interpreted by jurists like Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi. Deadlocks between the Majlis and the Guardian Council may be resolved by the Expediency Discernment Council chaired historically by figures such as Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Parliamentary procedures reflect precedents from the First Majlis (1906–1908) through modern standing orders and the role of the Speaker of the Parliament of Iran.
The Majlis exercises oversight over the President of Iran through question sessions and impeachment mechanisms; it has removed ministers and influenced executive direction during administrations like those of Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Hassan Rouhani. Judicial oversight is connected via the Head of the Judiciary of Iran and constitutional review by the Guardian Council, which includes members nominated by the judiciary and approved by the Majlis. Tensions have arisen between the Majlis and institutions such as the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) or the Basij when legislative priorities intersect with security or foreign policy matters involving the Ministry of Intelligence (Iran).
Elections to the Majlis occur every four years, with major contests such as the 2008 Iranian legislative election, 2012 Iranian legislative election, 2016 Iranian legislative election, and 2020 Iranian legislative election reflecting shifts among factions including Principalism (Iranian politics), Reformists (Iran), Moderation and Development Party, and independents aligned with figures like Mohammad Khatami or Ebrahim Raisi. Candidate vetting by the Guardian Council and political mobilization by networks related to Islamic Coalition Party, Iranian Labour Party, and student groups affect turnout and representation; international responses to elections have involved actors like the United Nations and foreign governments responding to sanctions from entities such as the United States Department of the Treasury.
The Majlis has enacted landmark measures including nationalization efforts inspired by the Oil Nationalization Movement under Mohammad Mossadegh, post-revolutionary statutes such as the Islamic Penal Code of Iran reforms, budget laws shaping the National Development Fund of Iran, and legislation on nuclear policy influencing interactions with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and agreements like the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. It has passed laws affecting social policy debated with groups like the Teachers' Trade Union of Iran and enacted emergency measures during crises linked to the Iran–Iraq War, the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, and sanctions affecting sectors overseen by the Ministry of Petroleum (Iran). The Majlis's decisions often trigger review by the Expediency Discernment Council and commentary from the Assembly of Experts.
Category:Politics of Iran Category:Legislatures by country