The Iranian Politcial Regime

Earlier this year the Middle East Institute released this collection of short essays (pdf, 8.04MB) which discuss the Iranian Revolution of 1979 to mark its 30th anniversary. Of particular interest to us at the moment is the article by Kazem Alamdari (page 201) which demonstrates the extent to which the Iranian political regime can be considered un-democratic. Here's a couple of excerpts:

...Elections in the IRI have aimed to: (1) legitimize the system while discriminating against the majority of the people by declaring them ineligible to run for office; (2) prevent unwanted people (outsiders) from entering the power structure; (3) determine the shares of rival groups (insiders) within the ruling circle, which reduces internal tension; (4) manipulate and orchestrate religious people because their participation in elections is a means of supporting Islam, and (5) make the system appear to be democratically endorsed by the people...

...Clerics legally manipulate elections through two mechanisms. First, the GC [Guardian Council] is authorized to screen the candidates before allowing them into a race. For example, opponents of the Velayat-e Faqih (rule by the Jurisconsult) are banned from elections as being unfit to hold office in the Islamic system. Second, all elected officials, including the President, are in a subordinate position to the Supreme Leader (the Walayat al-’amr,) of the Umma (the nation), who enjoys absolute power in the system. The Supreme Leader also can remove an unfit President from office, if he desires to do so....