Party-civic activism in Iran: challenges and requirements from 1997 to 2023

Introduction: The establishment of the Islamic Republic following the 1979 revolution (1357 in the Iranian calendar) marked a new chapter in the history of political parties in Iran, endowing them with a distinct identity. By combining Islamic values with democratic principles, this system defined a unique framework for party activities. However, despite the existence of party laws and the formation of numerous political organizations, these entities have failed to play an effective role in advancing political development and achieving the ideals of Islamic democracy. This study, focusing on the period from 1997 to 2023 (1376-1402), seeks to explore the factors contributing to this ineffectiveness within the context of the Islamic Republic. The central research question is: why, despite the presence of a legal framework and the large number of political parties, have they been unable to secure their proper place within the Islamic democratic system or deliver the expected outcomes? This research is significant because a systematic and scientific analysis of the obstacles and challenges confronting political parties can pave the way for practical solutions to enhance their role in political development and the realization of Islamic democratic goals.
Methods: Data collection was carried out in two phases: library research and fieldwork. The fieldwork involved conducting semi-structured interviews with two groups: university professors and party-civic activists. This was supplemented by an extensive review of existing literature and the theoretical framework of the study. The semi-structured interview protocol consisted of fifteen open-ended questions, which formed the basis for open and axial coding and qualitative content analysis, facilitating the extraction of research categories. After gathering and compiling the responses, in-text codes were identified and categorized. These categories were then developed into subcategories, which ultimately led to the formation of main categories. The results for each group were presented in separate tables. Throughout this process, the principle of theoretical data saturation was applied to ensure comprehensiveness and prevent redundancy.
Results and Discussion: The findings, derived from expert opinions, indicate that party and civil activism in Iran faces multifaceted, deeply rooted structural challenges, which can be categorized into four main levels: 1) Legal and Structural Challenges: These include limited space for party activities due to biased legal interpretations, the absence of comprehensive party laws, legal restrictions, government-imposed limitations, a security-driven perspective on political activism, the lack of recognition of parties’ roles in elections, restrictions on freedom of expression, and the inefficiency of legal mechanisms. 2) Internal Organizational and Behavioral Challenges: These encompass weakened party performance and declining public trust due to the lack of party maturity, insufficient engagement with society, reliance on individual leaders, opportunistic behavior, hostile rivalries, disregard for legal norms, lack of financial transparency, absence of internal democracy, poor accountability and conflict management, contradictory actions, overreliance on slogans, weak organizational cohesion, dependence on government or foreign entities, and inadequate training of party members. 3) Challenges in Communication with Society: These involve diminished legitimacy and public acceptance due to a disconnect from the populace, weakened ties with the social base, neglect of public opinion, failure to address societal issues, lack of solidarity with protests, public distrust of political parties and civil institutions, discrediting of intellectual elites, and ineffective networking. 4) Challenges in Relations with the Ruling Establishment: These include a growing gap and lack of constructive interaction caused by insufficient efforts to promote dialogue, the absence of institutionalized communication mechanisms, party conservatism, the closure of electoral channels, suppression of independent civil institutions, and the ruling establishment’s disregard for civil demands.
Conclusion: The analysis of solutions proposed by university professors, researchers, and party-civic activists suggests that overcoming the challenges faced by political parties and civil activism in Iran requires a comprehensive, multidimensional approach encompassing structural, legal, behavioral, and communicative reforms. Key recommendations include: Strengthening Communication with Society and Party Members: This can be achieved by ensuring continuous engagement with the public, representing public demands, promoting transparency in party operations, and establishing local branches. Enhancing Transparency and Accountability: Legal obligations, internal mechanisms for accountability, transparent performance, and oversight processes are essential to improve party credibility. Removing Legal and Structural Obstacles: This involves eliminating restrictive laws, financially empowering political parties, institutionalizing party politics, and ensuring media access. Changing Government Attitudes and Promoting a Culture of Party Politics and Democracy: Political will, fostering dialogue with parties, respecting diverse opinions, and amending constitutional provisions are necessary steps. Other Recommendations: These include ending negative rivalries, providing political education, ensuring financial independence for parties, promoting ethical practices, and fulfilling election promises. This comprehensive approach aims to reform existing structures and laws, strengthen political parties and civil institutions, and foster changes in societal attitudes and the political culture.