Political Renewal and Formation of Parties in Islamic Republic of Iran

The present study identifies the formation of parties as the result of the political renewal of Islamic Republic of Iran, and investigates the process of evolution of parties in Iran according to Huntington's model of societies under renewal. The phenomenon of political renewal and formation of parties in Iran can be investigated from two aspects: (1) Islamic revolution was a demotic revolution in which almost all social classes participated; (2) with the victory of Islamic revolution, a constitutional law was formulated based on two pillars of Islamism and republicanism. This provided the necessary basis for formation of parties. Besides, the economic renewal of the country in the period of reconstruction brought about a middle class contributing to formation of parties in the years to come; however, this process also posed challenges for Islamic regime due to concerns for preservation of Islamic laws on the one hand, and people's participation on the other. These concerns were one of the factors hindering the development of parties and their being institutionalized.