Government Systems of Iran and Iraq 1

GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS OF IRAN AND IRAQ

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 Government Systems of Iran and Iraq 2

Introduction

Iraq and Iran are two neighboring countries in the Middle East that share a boundary of

900 miles. Iran is ranked 18th in the list of largest countries in the world, with a total area of

636,000 square miles while Iraq is ranked 58th in the same list with a total area of 169,000

square miles1. The current populations of Iraq and Iran are 38 million and 81 million people,

respectively. Iraq and Iran still had monarchical governments and traditional societies in the mid-

20th Century. The political systems of the two nations, however, changed in the second half of

the 20th Century because of intense pressure from political revolutions and conflicts in the entire

Middle East region. Notably, the tension and pressure generated by a series of revolutions in the

Middle East led to the emergence of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). The revolutions finally led

to the abandonment of the conventional monarchical system in favor of democratic governments.

Iraq and Iran adopted democratic republic forms of government in 1958 and 1979, respectively.

Currently, the resulting democratic republic systems of governments in the two nations have

similarities and differences.

Similarities

Democratic systems of government in the Middle East are distinct from those in other

nations across the globe because of the emphasis on Islamic laws. These nations have adopted

theocratic democratic system to ensure a balance between Islamic Law and the democratic rights

of people. A theocratic democracy is a complex system of government that combines presidential

democracy and theocracy. Islamic democracies are used in the governance of Iran and Iraq.

1
Szczepanski , Kallie . 2019. "What Is the Difference Between Iran and Iraq?" ThoughtCo.
 Government Systems of Iran and Iraq 3

Adoption of Islamic democracies in Iran and Iraq is facilitated by the fact that almost all

their inhabitants practice Islam. Islam is Iraq’s official religion, with approximately 97 percent

followers2. The Islamic majority group in Iraq is split into Shia, Sunni Muslim groups, and other

smaller groups. The Shia Muslims account for about 60 percent of the total Islamic majority

group, while the Sunni Muslims and other smaller Muslim groups take the remaining 40 percent.

The Sunni Muslims are further slit into Sunni Arabs, Sunni Kurds, and Sunni Turkomans.

Christianity and Jewish religions are practiced by the minorities in Iraq, who are mostly

immigrants from other nations across the globe.

Moreover, 99 percent of people in the Islamic State of Iran practice Islam. Like, Iraq, Iran

has two major Islamic groups, namely Shia and Sunni. The Shia Muslim group takes up about 93

percent of the total population in Iran. The Shia Muslim group is further split into Ithna Asharis,

Ismailis, and Zaidis. The Sunni Islamic group and other smaller groups comprise 6 percent of the

total Iranian population. The Non-Muslim minority religious groups in Iran include Mandaeans,

Zoroastrians, Jews, Baha’is, and Christians.

The constitutions of both nations acknowledge Islam as the foundational factor for

legislation. According to these constitutions, the established laws should not contradict Islamic

Laws. The constitutions of Iran and Iraq are designed to protect the Islamic identity of their

inhabitants. Moreover, these constitutions also emphasize that the established laws should not

contract the democratic principles. These legislations are also designed to protect the

fundamental freedoms and rights of all people in the nations3.

It is important to note that the constitutions of Iran and Iraq have been amended to

provide freedom of worship for people from minority religions such as Christians and Yezidis.
2
Bukay, David. "Can there be an Islamic Democracy?." Middle East Quarterly (2007).
3
Paya, Ali, and John L. Esposito, eds. Iraq, democracy and the future of the Muslim world. Vol. 18. Routledge, 2010.
 Government Systems of Iran and Iraq 4

However, the constitutions do not offer explicit protection for atheists. The constitution avoids

contradicting the protection of Islamic identity and freedom of worship by creating both religious

and civil components of every arm of the government. The judicial systems of these

governments, for example, have both civil and religious courts. Most matters of Islamic people

are solved in Islamic courts, while non-Muslims are allowed to resolve their legal issues in civil

courts. The issues handled in civil law courts in both Iraq and Iran include inheritance, child

custody, marriage, and divorce4.

Differences

The democratic governments of Iran and Iraq have a structural difference. The difference

is brought by the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran has a more complex political system than

that of Iraq. According to the United States policymakers, the Islamic Republic of Iran possesses

a highly ideological approach in its political matters. The structural difference between the two

constitutions is understood through a focus on each at a time.

Governance of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The Iranian government system is ranked among the most factionalized, unusual, and

sophisticated on earth. The constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran was adopted in 1979.

This constitution is made up of intricately connected elements that form five arms of the

government, including the executive, legislature, judiciary, military, and religious branches. The

religious branch is the strongest amongst others because it has stronger support from the military

branch. The religious branch is headed by the Supreme Leader, who appoints a portion of

members in the Judiciary, the Expediency Council, and the Guardian Council. The institutions

4
Eisenstadt, Michael. The Strategic Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Operational and
Policy Implications. No. 1. Middle East Studies, Marine Corps University, 2011.
 Government Systems of Iran and Iraq 5

that have elected officials include Assembly of Experts, the Parliament (the Majiles), and the

Presidency. The Majiles are tasked with the appointment of 50 percent of Guardian Council

members5.

The Iranian government system has a total of seven main institutions, namely the

Assembly of Experts, the Parliament, the Supreme Leadership, the Guardian Council, the

Presidency, the Cabinet, the Judiciary, and the Armed Forces. The Assembly of Experts is made

up of 86 senior clerics (ayatollahs and mujtahids). These senior clerics are elected directly by the

Iranian citizens for an eight-year office term. They are tasked with the appointment of the

Supreme Leader, although the current state of Iran shows that the current Supreme Leader has

overpowered the existing group of senior clerics. The Parliament of Iran is unicameral and made

up of 290 deputies. The Iranian parliament is tasked with the approval of cabinet ministers who

the president nominates, local agreements, and international treaties. The parliament also has the

power to impeach the president and cabinet ministers.

The Supreme Leader in Iran acts as the highest political and religious authority. The

Supreme Leader acts as the head of state in Iran where he is also tasked with the appointment of

key individuals in the military and the judiciary. The Supreme Leader also resolves disputes

occurring in various government organs. He can also participate in the impeachment of the

president. This means that the head of the Intelligence Unit, the General Directorate of Security,

and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces answer to him.

The Guardian Council guides the citizens of Iran on interpreting their constitution. The

Guardian Council is also responsible for the supervision of elections in the Presidency,

5
Kurun, Ismail. "Iranian Political System:'Mullocracy?'." Journal of Management and Economics Research (2017).
 Government Systems of Iran and Iraq 6

Parliament, and Assembly of Experts. It reviews passed Parliamentary laws and vetoes

contradictory ones.

The Presidency acts as the highest elective post in the Iranian political system. He is

elected through democratic processes for a four-year term and answers to the Supreme Leader.

He is responsible for the appointment of cabinet ministers and vice president and budget

ratification. Considering that the Supreme Leader possesses the ultimate authority to all crucial

matters in the nation, the president lacks ultimate authority on nuclear energy, foreign policy,

and the Armed Forces.

A senior cleric heads the Iranian Judiciary. The Supreme Leader appoints the senior

cleric in the Iranian judiciary for a term of five years in office. The Judiciary of Iran operated

based on Islamic law. The head of judiciary appoints six Guardian Council members who are

non-clerics and nominates the justice minister.

The department of Armed Forces in Iran is split into Republican Army and Revolutionary

Guards. The Supreme Leader directly controls the Revolutionary Guards to prevent the

emergence of coup. The Revolutionary Guards is hence more influential on the state’s

bureaucratic security matters than the Republic Army.

Governance of Iraq

Iraq, on the other hand, operates based on a liberal democratic system of government.

The Iraqi Federal Government has three branches, namely the Executive, the Legislature and the

Judiciary. The Executive branch of the Iraqi government comprises of the Presidency Council

and the Council of Ministers. The Presidency Council consists of one president and one vice

president. The Council of Ministers comprises a prime minister, three deputy prime ministers,
 Government Systems of Iran and Iraq 7

and 36 cabinet ministers. The president of Iraq serves as the head of state, protector of the

constitution, and symbol of national unity. The prime minister acts as the commander-in-chief of

the armed forces and direct executive authority. The Council of Representatives appoints the

prime minister, the president, and vice president of Iraq. The members of the executive branch

only supposed to serve a term of four years in office6.

The legislative branch of Iraq comprises a Council of Representatives that is

democratically elected. The Council of Representatives consists of 329 members who are

democratically elected to serve a term of four years in office. The 329 seats include 320 directly

elected people and 9 for minority groups, including Christians (5), Shabak (1), Sabean (1),

Yazidi (1), and Fayli Kurds (1). The constitution allows citizens of Iraq living in other nations to

participate in its democratic processes. Notably, the Council of Representatives is responsible for

the appointment of the members of the executive arm, monitoring of executive arm, and enacting

federal law. However, with majority voters being of Islamic descent, most of the enacted laws

are based on the Islamic laws7.

The Judiciary arm of the Iraqi government is independent of the legislature and executive

arms. The judiciary comprises Judiciary Oversight Commission, Court of Cassation, Public

Prosecution Department, Federal Supreme Court, and the Higher Judicial Council. The Higher

Judicial Council is responsible for the supervision of judicial affairs. Furthermore, the Federal

Supreme Court possesses a limited jurisdiction regarding constitutional issues and intra-

governmental disputes8.

Conclusion
6
Michigan State University. 2019. "Iraq: Government." GlobalEDGE.
7
GlobalSecurity.org. 2019. "Iraqi Government." GlobalSecurity.org.
8
Katzman, Kenneth. Iraq: Politics, Security, and US Policy. Vol. 22. Congressional Research
Service, 2015.
 Government Systems of Iran and Iraq 8

Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran are governed through Islamic laws. The complex

democratic government of Iran majorly depends on the Supreme Leader in making decisions for

the nation. The liberalism of the Iraqi government makes it more democratic than that of Iran.

The higher efficiency of the Iraqi government’s democracy than that of Iran is demonstrated by

its reservation of minority group seats in the Council of Representatives. The complexity of

Iran’s government makes it hard for the citizens to directly control the legislature, unlike where

Iraq citizens are represented directly in the Council of Representatives.

Bibliography

Bukay, David. "Can there be an Islamic Democracy?." Middle East Quarterly (2007).

Eisenstadt, Michael. The Strategic Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Operational and

Policy Implications. No. 1. Middle East Studies, Marine Corps University, 2011.

GlobalSecurity.org. 2019. "Iraqi Government." GlobalSecurity.org.

Katzman, Kenneth. Iraq: Politics, Security, and US Policy. Vol. 22. Congressional Research
 Government Systems of Iran and Iraq 9

Service, 2015.

Kurun, Ismail. "Iranian Political System:'Mullocracy?'." Journal of Management and Economics

Research (2017).

Michigan State University. 2019. "Iraq: Government." GlobalEDGE.

Paya, Ali, and John L. Esposito, eds. Iraq, democracy and the future of the Muslim world. Vol.
18. Routledge, 2010.
Szczepanski , Kallie . 2019. "What Is the Difference Between Iran and Iraq?" ThoughtCo.