Minorities in the Minimalist Parliament Seeking to Play a Role
The results of the twelfth parliamentary elections are not yet final, and the second round of elections has just taken place. However, based on the information from the first round, the composition of the parliament has almost been determined, and discussions and predictions about the possible factions in this parliament have emerged from both analysts and those who are set to take seats in the twelfth parliament.
Principlist Factions in the Twelfth Parliament
For instance, Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini, a principlist figure with a history of parliamentary representation, mentioned in an interview that the acronym for the next parliament’s factions is PASHM, meaning three factions: Paydari, Sharian, and Masaf will form in the parliament, and they are set to play roles in various dimensions of parliamentary decision-making with their weight.
Of course, all three aforementioned factions are principlist, and most of those entering these three factions will be from the hardline principlist spectrum. Now, which one will gain the majority and form the majority faction is not yet clear, considering that many members of the lists affiliated with Sharian and Sobhe Iran, affiliated with Masaf, are the same and aligned with Paydari. Also, the Coalition Council has allied with Paydari.
Minority Faction in the Twelfth Parliament
Alongside this wave of hardline principlist population in the twelfth parliament, there is a minority that is moderate and perhaps slower in this principlist front, and they may not be able or willing to join these factions. They are likely to establish the minority faction in the parliament.
Although with the moderate flag, fewer than 50 people have managed to enter the parliament, considering the presence of independents and those separated from principlism, a prediction of forming a faction of approximately 65 people has also been made.
Formation of the Moderate Faction
As in the days following the announcement of the first round of the twelfth parliamentary elections, Ali Motahari, who, along with his list in Tehran, failed to enter the parliament, emphasized in an interview with Ensaf News on the position of moderation and clarified that he supports a movement that is neither reformist nor principlist. He said that moderate representatives elected by the people in the recent elections must form a faction to influence the decisions of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
The Moderate Faction in the Future Parliament Can Be Determinative in Some Decisions
He believed that if the moderate faction plays a role, the possibility of moderate representatives being present even in the presidium of the twelfth parliament will be feasible. According to his prediction, the Coalition Council of Revolutionary Forces and the Paydari Front will also be present in the next parliament. Recently, before the formation of the twelfth parliament, Masoud Pezeshkian also mentioned the formation of the moderate faction.
The Moderate Faction and Hope for Impact
Pezeshkian, who is now preparing to enter the twelfth parliament, spoke about the plans and the manner of interaction he will have as a moderate figure with other representatives within the framework of the faction. He said the founding board of this faction has been selected in recent days, and the founding board will write the statute and general framework of the work in the next step.
We hope that by working together, we can reduce some of the people’s problems. The number of moderate representatives present in this faction is not yet known, but in the recent meeting, about fifty to sixty people were present, and some were unable to attend that day. The total number of people present in the faction will be more than this number.
Regarding the presence of some moderate principlist figures such as Alaeddin Boroujerdi in the founding board of the moderate faction, he said the more we can move towards moderation, the better results we will achieve. In this case, it does not matter whether a representative is principlist, reformist, or from any other movement.
Pezeshkian, regarding the possibility of his candidacy in the elections for the presidium of the parliament as the option of this faction, said that he currently has no decision to run for the presidency or vice-presidency of the twelfth parliament, but the final decision on this matter returns to the opinion of the moderate faction, and we will act based on that. In this regard, we will strive for any conclusion that the moderate faction reaches to happen.
Political Organizations and the Minority Faction
In our contemporary history and in the years following the victory of the revolution, there were minority factions that influenced parliamentary decision-making both in legislation and oversight. Even when the Guardian Council was not as committed to eliminating various political thoughts and homogenizing as it is now, there were minority factions that managed to gain a majority in the next parliamentary term.
In other words, our country and political currents, despite being far from politically developed countries, make use of these limited opportunities to advance the goals of the republic. In that period, the topic of parliament and its being at the helm was an acceptable concept, and society was hopeful about determining its fate through the ballot box. Therefore, those who were in parliament with a strong popular vote had their role if they were in the majority, and if they were in the minority, they had the courage to influence the parliamentary atmosphere and were committed to achieving a credible and even desirable performance record.
However, now the situation is such that there are many ifs and buts, especially regarding the minority faction and its efforts. On one hand, the people’s despair does not provide the necessary backing for these individuals’ presence. On the other hand, the sword of disqualification for the next parliamentary term also exists, and ultimately, as it should be, the parliament is not at the helm from the perspective of society or politicians.
Another issue related to these factions, especially with the disappearance of reformists’ position in the country’s political space, is the type of perspective these factions have and their interaction with like-minded individuals in the political space and their organizations.
This topic also emerged in the tenth parliament, where the Hope faction was populous and not considered a minority. Reformist parties, disappointed with constructive communication with this faction, were critical of the political organizations’ approach to this movement.
This also leads to the fact that now that moderates are present as a minority in the parliament, despite repeatedly speaking about their role and plans to prevent extremism, their impact, now known as the moderate faction, remains shrouded in ambiguity.