The Nature of  Representation in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Since the establishment of Islamic parliament in Iran, the explanation of the nature of ‘being a parliament representative’ is one of the most challenging issue in the legislature due to the fact that the Iranian society is a Muslim society, that there are many differing views on the nature of Islamic government, and that people have rights to participate in the elections, including the election of their own parliament representatives. To explain the nature of representation in the constitutional law of the Islamic Republic of Iran, one has to make analysis of each of the constituent elements of representation as far as the Islamic parliament is concerned. The analysis will cover such issues as ‘the guardianship of the Muslim jurist’, ‘those who are elected as representatives’, and ‘people’. Accordingly, the nature of parliamentary representation as stipulated in the constitution of the Islamic republic of Iran is a legal representation permitted by the Muslim guardian jurist. The Muslim jurist is, in a sense, appointed by God to take responsibility of running the social affairs of the Muslim community. However, according to the principle of public participation, the Muslim jurist delegates his responsibility of legislating and supervising, which is stipulated in the constitution and commonly accepted, to the legislators or the elected representatives of the people to act on his behalf. The representatives have been elected to pave the way for people to participate in running their own social affairs.