News ID: 51

Date: 18 April 2021 - 12:44

Revision of Constitution possible, spokesman says

Constitutional Council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei said there are no worries about reviewing and amending the Constitution when circumstances require.

“The Constitution is a legal document which was formulated and adopted (in 1979) by a group of experts, and the majority of people voted for it,” Kadkhodaei said in a meeting with university students on Saturday.

He added that present needs of people and society change over time and new needs may arise, noting, “Thus revising or reforming the Constitution per se is not wrong”.

“However, the time of the review is not predictable, and we have no worries about reviewing it when circumstances require,” the spokesman said.

According to Article 177, the revision of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, whenever needed by the circumstances, will be done in the following manner: The Leader issues an edict to the President after consultation with the Nation's Expediency Council stipulating the amendments or additions to be made by the Council for Revision of the Constitution which includes members of the Constitutional Council, heads of the three branches of the government, permanent members of the Nation's Exigency Council, five members from among the Assembly of Experts, ten representatives selected by the Leader.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Kadkhodaei pointed to the role of political parties in elections, and said, “Unfortunately, political parties have not been formed in the country in their true sense, while this has been well addressed in the Constitution”.

He added that parties should have a permanent role and presence in the country’s political activities and work collectively rather individually.

Noting that political parties should have a manifesto and charter, Kadkhodaei said they need to set an agenda in order to be able to train members, oversee their activities and hold them accountable for their future conduct and performance in key posts.

Today, over 240 political parties and associations are authorized to operate. Most can be neatly defined as either Principlist or Reformist, themselves rather broad political demarcations that have lived in the Iranian political terminology since the 1990s.

Other groups and individuals are also active on the country’s political stage as Moderates and Independents.

A constitutional referendum was held in Iran on December 2-3 in 1979. The new Constitution was approved by 99.5% of voters.