Localization, a solution to the challenge of negative functioning of political parties (focused on the political thought of Ayatollah Khamenei)

At present, there are two general views on the relationship between the political system of Shi’ah Islam and Partisanship: The first view considers party as a necessity of the new era; so due to the lack of a specific text, it is impossible to extract its jurisprudential principles. Obviously, according to this view, the use of the party as a new phenomenon in the religious system is opposed, but according to the second view, it is possible to explain the jurisprudential principles of the party in the context of general texts and general rules. However, the objective and practical realization of this important issue also faces a serious obstacle, and that is the existence of a reality called “negative function of parties,” which makes the use of this new phenomenon in the religious system a religious prohibition. This is currently the most important challenge facing a religious democracy. The present article has tried to extract a solution to this challenge in a systematic theoretical framework and by analyzing the content of Ayatollah Khamenei's statements. Accordingly, and within the framework of Ayatollah Khamenei's political thought, “localization” as an approach is a fundamental solution to the challenge of the negative functioning of parties in the religious system.