Free «Irans Soft Authoritarian System of Governance » Essay Sample

The basic description of an authoritarian system of government is the government with a ruler who is an absolute dictator. Put simply is the government in which the principles and the people’s concern is the rulers maker, necessary not restricted by state of law or the constitution or the side of the opposition. The characteristic of leadership exhibit from the public’s opinion is by or favoring general obedience by following the word of authority, as opposed to individual freedom hence an authoritarian regime. This is the case with Iran’s people at the moment with president Ahmadinejad. Iran’s mainly Islamic government is seen to open a new chapter in its struggle to stifle the escalating domestic political dissent. From the standpoint, of perceptions of the soft authoritarians the results of democracy and its benefits are perceived dubious. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the current president of Iran and is the sixth in this Islamic Republic and the known supportive leader of the Alliance of the Builders of Islamic Iran, a coalition of mainly conservative political groups the Iran’s Republic.

To make an all idea clear Iran will not soon become a totalitarian state because of the underlying reasons with supported evidence. As an illustration of what Mahmoud and his authoritarian government is capable of, in 2006 Iran’s telecommunication service providers were told to adjust downwards the Internet online use speeds to “128 kilobytes a second.’’ This was definitely a blow to the country not only at the verge of development but also with a growing population of an estimated 5 million internet users. The directive was simple service providers to lower online speed to 128 kilobits (kbps) and was restricted from offering fast broadband packages. This was aimed to make it difficult to download the internet materials and music for which the authorities were blamed for undermining Islamic teachings and culture especially for the young generations. It main reason was a strategy to reduce the growth of the opposition group by impending these opposition groups from forming organized groups through uploading information on the internet since a single click could spread information at a far extent. It is recorded that satellite dishes were purged off. The authorities stayed the facilities underdeveloped by banning high – speed links.

The infamous president has constantly been criticized for attacking the private plunderers and the corrupt officials while engaging in “cronyism and favoritism’’. Very close associates of president Mahmoud have been appointed to positions of influence for which it is known that they have very limited qualifications to fit such high profile positions of command. Evidence cited is that billion dollars of no-bid contracts have been in so many circumstances awarded to the famous presidential supportive Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), an organization of great powers and with which he is strongly associated.It is recorded in June 2007; Ahmadinejad was on the spotlight again as he was criticized by an Iranian member of parliament over his views as revealed in his speech on Christianity and Judaism.

In the Aftab News Agency, Ahmadinejad is quoted saying that, in the world, there are serious deviations from what is true: Christianity and Judaism. He has donated a large amount of dollars to propagate this information on deviations. To an extent his message is that these false claims will save mankind which to him was but undeniably lies. And that Islamic is the only true religion that can solely save mankind. This is nothing but a fuel of war. It is also recorded that the Member of Parliament Rafat Bayat has at one point criticized Mahmoud for declining to observe the recommended hijab for women calling him weak on such matter of concern. President Mahmoud has also been accused of behaving indecently by individuals close to Rafsanjani, after he openly kissed the hand of a woman; his former school teacher. By this, he not only went against the teaching of strict Islamic but the teaching he has all a long administered with no compromise. He has previously given his dissatisfaction of women attending football matches at a UN conference. He has not one conflicted with parliament but so many times. He has over a long time overruled some of the decisions made by parliament. Thishas made some parliamentarians even try to pass some strict rules on him.

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For instance in May 2011, several parliamentarians threatened to initiate an impeachment proceeding against president Mahmoud after his sole decision to merger eight government ministries. Also on the incident he fired three ministers without any consultation with or consent of parliament. This has been a series of atrocities of the high handedness of president Mahmoud. On May 25 parliament probed to investigate another allegation imposed on him that president Mahmoud had committed an election irregularity by dishing out liquid cash to Iranians so that they might vote in his favor in the 2009 presidential elections. The amount was estimated to be 9 million dollars.

These are the continuous disputes that have always been seen as a part of the clash between Ahmadinejad and many other conservatives including the former supporters, for instance the supreme leader Khamenei, over what the conservatives perceive as Ahmadinejad's confrontational authoritarian policies and abuse of power. It is evident that during the ruler ship of president Mahmoud the foreign policy altogether took a different turnabout. His relations with the west particularly soured since they would not agree of his advancement for his nuclear weapons programs without factoring the threat he caused to the world.

In conclusion of this elaborate study as to why Iran will not become a totalitarian state and what this has on the general development of the country, the government needs to change some the laws which give the president excess powers and makes him to be above the law. Parliament should be empowered to have checks and balances of the executive.