...Iran has a dual power structure, with a supreme religious leader (the vali-e faqih) and a president. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who came to power in 1989 after the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, holds the highest religious office. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president for a four-year term in June 2005. The most recent election for the Iranian parliament (Majlis) was held in March 2008. Political parties, banned since 1985, are now permitted to present candidates at elections, although they remain loose organisations. The political structure is fairly complex, given that it seeks to balance the exercise of "democracy", that is the holding of frequent elections, with the need to impose strict checks on both the executive and the legislative apparatus of state. The function for ensuring that the presidency and parliament conform to Iran's Islamic principles rests with the Guardian Council, a conservative vetting body. Another organisation,...
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