1943–1944 Iranian legislative election

Iranian legislative election, 1943–1944
All 136 seats to the National Consultative Assembly
Prime Minister before election; Ali Soheili;	Elected Prime Minister ; Mohammad Sa'ed;

The elections for the 14th Parliament of Iran was held in November 1943–February 1944 and more than 800 candidates ran for 136 seats.

Ervand Abrahamian wrote in 1982 that the elections were "the most prolonged, most competitive and most meaningful of all elections in modern Iran".^[1]

Timeline

Tehran

24 November 1943: Start of the election^[2]^: 263
27 November 1943: End of the election^[2]^: 270
30 December 1943: Beginning of reading of votes^[2]^: 271
10 February 1944: Declaration of 11 Members-elect of parliament from Tehran. The twelfth was postponed.^[2]^: 275

Results

The Tudeh Party put forward fifteen candidates, nine of whom won seats. The number of the total votes cast for the candidates of the party is estimated at 1.5 million, one-eight of the total votes cast.^[3]

Out of the 41,000 total votes cast in Tehran, Mohammad Mossadegh finished first with some 15,000 votes.^[4] All Tudeh Party candidates were defeated in the constituency.^[3]

In Isfahan, official results showed that Taghi Fadakar became the first deputy with 30,499 votes, and Hessameddin Dowlatabadi and Heidar-Ali Emami were elected for the second and third seats with 29,740 and 28,730 votes respectively.^[4]

The top two seats for Tabriz went to Kho'i and Pishevari (Soviet-supported) with 15,883 and 15,780 votes out of 47,780 respectively, but credentials of both were rejected later. The rest of the seven seats in the constituency went to Eskandari, Sadeqi, Seqat ol-Eslam, Ipakchiyan (Soviet-supported), Panahi, Mojtahedi and Sartippur.^[5]

The parties that won seats were:

Party	Seats	Ref
National Union Party	30	^[6]
Fatherland Party	26	^[7]
Justice Party	15	^[8]
Tudeh Party	9^[b]	^[3]
Iran Party	6^[c]	^[9]
Comrades Party	2	^[9]

Composition

According to Ervand Abrahamian, a summarized composition of the parliament that was shaped after at the election is as follows:

Fraction		Leader	Line	Seats	%

	National Unionists	M. Tabatabaei	Royalist,^[10] ^[11] Pro-American^[12]	30^[6]	22.05
	Patriots	Z. Tabatabaei	Anti-royalist,^[10]^[11] Pro-British^[12]^[13]	26^[7]	19.11
	Liberals	Farmanfarma	Anti-royalist,^[10]^[11] Pro-Soviet^[12]^[13]	20^[14]	14.70
	Individuals	Mossadegh	Anti-royalist,^[10]^[11] Neutralist^[12]	16^[9]	11.76


	Independents	Dashti	Anti-royalist,^[11] Pro-American^[12]^[13]	15^[8]	11.02
	Democrats	Farrokh	Anti-royalist,^[10]^[11] Pro-British^[12]^[13]	11^[15]	8.08
	Tudeh	Radmanesh	Anti-royalist,^[11] Pro-Soviet^[12]^[13]	8^[16]	5.88

	Vacant seats			10^[17]	7.35
Total				136	100.0

Based on the lines mentioned above for each parliamentary group, the absolute majority of members of parliament were against the royal family and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi:

↓
96	30
Anti-royalist	Royalist

A characterization of members of parliament based on the foreign policy outlook of their respective parliamentary groups:

↓
28	16	45	37
Pro-Soviet	Neutralist	Pro-American	Pro-British

A characterization of members of the parliament on political spectrum could be as follows:

↓
10	25	40	26	26
Left	Centre-left	Centerism	Centre-right	Right

References

Footnotes

^ Mosaddegh took pride of being an Independent politician at the time and was not a member of Iran Party. However his views often coincided with the party which campaigned on his behalf.
^ Including Jafar Pishevari, who was not a member but was closely associated with the party endorsed him. Pishevari did not take seat since his credentials were rejected.
^ Including Mohammad Mossadegh, who was not a member but was closely associated with the party endorsed him.

^ Abrahamian 1982, p. 186
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d گاهنامه پنجاه سال شاهنشاهی پهلوی [Chronology of the fifty-year Pahlavi Kingship] (in Persian). Vol. 1. Paris: Soheil Press. 1986.
^ ^a ^b ^c Ladjevardi 1985, p. 45: The total number of the votes cast for Tudeh candidates was estimated to be one-eight of the total votes cast, estimated at 1,500,000... In all, nine of the party's fifteen candidates were elected, although none were elected for the twelve seats for Tehran. Of the Central Council and Tudeh Party leaders who stood for election in Tehran, Dr. Morteza Yazdi received 4,719 votes, Ebrahim Mahzari 2,831, and Hossein Jahani 2,796 out of the 41,000 total votes cast.
^ ^a ^b Ladjevardi 1985, p. 159: The "official" slate was, in fact, elected: Taghi Fadakar finished first with 30,499 votes (twice the number of votes cast for Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, the top candidate in the Tehran elections), Hesameddin Dowlatabadi was second with 29,740 votes and Heidar-Ali Emami third with 28,730.
^ Atabaki 2000, p. 73
^ ^a ^b Abrahamian 1982, p. 200: The National Union Caucus mustered at most thirty deputies.
^ ^a ^b Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: The Patriotic Caucus, on the other hand, included twenty-six deputies, many of whom represented constituencies in the British zone... The views of the fraksiun were publicized outside the Majles not only by the Fatherland party and its successor, the National Will party, but also by a number of newspapers...
^ ^a ^b Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: Heirs to the Justice fraksiun of the Thirteenth Majles, the fifteen members of the Independent Caucus changed their parliamentary label for two major reasons. Headed by Dashti... Outside the Majles, the Independent Caucus was helped by the Justice party and its impressive array of well-financed newspapers.
^ ^a ^b Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: Finally, the Individuals' Caucus was a loose coalition of some sixteen deputies who usually followed the lead of Mossadeq, especially on foreign and constitutional issues. Closest to Mossadeq were the five representatives of the Iran party and the two leaders of the Comrades party. The others were nonporty deputies elected mainly from the northern constituencies.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Abrahamian 1982, p. 37: ...four main anti-royalist groups - Liberals, Patriots, Democrats, and Individuals - allying to initiate a collective offensive against the royalists in the National
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Abrahamian 1982, p. 203 The routine opening of the Majles turned into a sharp attack on the shah. The Liberals, Patriots, Democrats, Independents, and Individuals, together with the Tudeh deputies, easily isolated the National Unionists, and promptly drafted a new oath of office that stressed the duty of each deputy to defend the constitutional rights of the Majles.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Abrahamian 1982, p. 202 On foreign issues, especially as the Cold War started, the Patriots and Democrats aligned with Britain, the Tudeh and Liberals with the Soviet Union, the Independents and National Unionists with United States, and the Individuals with none of the great powers.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Abrahamian 1978, pp. 37, 43: The Tudeh and the Liberals, seeing Britain as the main enemy, intended to ally with the Soviet Union. The Patriots and the Democrats, fearing Russia as the chief threat, hoped to work closely with Britain. The Independents, distrusting both, planned to rely on the United States. The Individuals, on the other hand, proposed to save the country's independence through a policy of 'negative equilibrium'... Bayat took office in November with a slim majority formed of National Unionists and pro-British Democrats-Patriots. But he left office six months later having lost the votes of all Democrats-Patriots and of some dissident National Unionists, and instead having gained a significant minority composed of loyal National Unionists, neutralist Individuals, and pro-Soviet Tudeh-Liberal
^ Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: During the Fourteenth Majles, Umid functioned as the unofficial organ of the Liberal Caucus. Of the twenty deputies in the Caucus...
^ Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: The Patriots worked closely with the eleven deputies of the Democratic Caucus. Known by their opponents as the "tribal group" (fraksiun-i 'ashayir), the Democrats were led by the two Bakhtiyari deputies...
^ Abrahamian 1982, p. 201: Of the eight representatives in the Tudeh Caucus, all came from the ranks of the young intelligentsia, although two were from aristocratic families.
^ Abrahamian 1978, p. 36: ...ten were inactive - five had their credentials rejected, two died early in the session, another two resigned, and the last was in a British prison for his German connections.

Sources

Abrahamian, Ervand (1978). "Factionalism in Iran: political groups in the 14th Parliament (1944–46)". Middle Eastern Studies. 14 (1). Taylor & Francis: 22–55. doi:10.1080/00263207808700364. JSTOR 4282680.
Abrahamian, Ervand (1982). Iran Between Two Revolutions. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-6911-0134-5.
Ladjevardi, Habib (1985). Labor Unions and Autocracy in Iran. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-2343-4.
Atabaki, Touraj (2000). Azerbaijan: Ethnicity and the Struggle for Power in Iran. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-8606-4554-9.

[1] Mosaddegh took pride of being an Independent politician at the time and was not a member of Iran Party. However his views often coincided with the party which campaigned on his behalf.

[10] Including Jafar Pishevari, who was not a member but was closely associated with the party endorsed him. Pishevari did not take seat since his credentials were rejected.

[11] Including Mohammad Mossadegh, who was not a member but was closely associated with the party endorsed him.

[2] Abrahamian 1982, p. 186

[chro-3] گاهنامه پنجاه سال شاهنشاهی پهلوی [Chronology of the fifty-year Pahlavi Kingship] (in Persian). Vol. 1. Paris: Soheil Press. 1986.

[Ladjevardi2-4] Ladjevardi 1985, p. 45: The total number of the votes cast for Tudeh candidates was estimated to be one-eight of the total votes cast, estimated at 1,500,000... In all, nine of the party's fifteen candidates were elected, although none were elected for the twelve seats for Tehran. Of the Central Council and Tudeh Party leaders who stood for election in Tehran, Dr. Morteza Yazdi received 4,719 votes, Ebrahim Mahzari 2,831, and Hossein Jahani 2,796 out of the 41,000 total votes cast.

[Ladjevardi-5] Ladjevardi 1985, p. 159: The "official" slate was, in fact, elected: Taghi Fadakar finished first with 30,499 votes (twice the number of votes cast for Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, the top candidate in the Tehran elections), Hesameddin Dowlatabadi was second with 29,740 votes and Heidar-Ali Emami third with 28,730.

[6] Atabaki 2000, p. 73

[National_Union-7] Abrahamian 1982, p. 200: The National Union Caucus mustered at most thirty deputies.

[Patriots-8] Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: The Patriotic Caucus, on the other hand, included twenty-six deputies, many of whom represented constituencies in the British zone... The views of the fraksiun were publicized outside the Majles not only by the Fatherland party and its successor, the National Will party, but also by a number of newspapers...

[Independents-9] Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: Heirs to the Justice fraksiun of the Thirteenth Majles, the fifteen members of the Independent Caucus changed their parliamentary label for two major reasons. Headed by Dashti... Outside the Majles, the Independent Caucus was helped by the Justice party and its impressive array of well-financed newspapers.

[Individuals-12] Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: Finally, the Individuals' Caucus was a loose coalition of some sixteen deputies who usually followed the lead of Mossadeq, especially on foreign and constitutional issues. Closest to Mossadeq were the five representatives of the Iran party and the two leaders of the Comrades party. The others were nonporty deputies elected mainly from the northern constituencies.

[royalism-13] Abrahamian 1982, p. 37: ...four main anti-royalist groups - Liberals, Patriots, Democrats, and Individuals - allying to initiate a collective offensive against the royalists in the National

[royalism2-14] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Abrahamian 1982, p. 203 The routine opening of the Majles turned into a sharp attack on the shah. The Liberals, Patriots, Democrats, Independents, and Individuals, together with the Tudeh deputies, easily isolated the National Unionists, and promptly drafted a new oath of office that stressed the duty of each deputy to defend the constitutional rights of the Majles.

[foreign_policy-15] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Abrahamian 1982, p. 202 On foreign issues, especially as the Cold War started, the Patriots and Democrats aligned with Britain, the Tudeh and Liberals with the Soviet Union, the Independents and National Unionists with United States, and the Individuals with none of the great powers.

[line-16] Abrahamian 1978, pp. 37, 43: The Tudeh and the Liberals, seeing Britain as the main enemy, intended to ally with the Soviet Union. The Patriots and the Democrats, fearing Russia as the chief threat, hoped to work closely with Britain. The Independents, distrusting both, planned to rely on the United States. The Individuals, on the other hand, proposed to save the country's independence through a policy of 'negative equilibrium'... Bayat took office in November with a slim majority formed of National Unionists and pro-British Democrats-Patriots. But he left office six months later having lost the votes of all Democrats-Patriots and of some dissident National Unionists, and instead having gained a significant minority composed of loyal National Unionists, neutralist Individuals, and pro-Soviet Tudeh-Liberal

[17] Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: During the Fourteenth Majles, Umid functioned as the unofficial organ of the Liberal Caucus. Of the twenty deputies in the Caucus...

[18] Abrahamian 1982, p. 202: The Patriots worked closely with the eleven deputies of the Democratic Caucus. Known by their opponents as the "tribal group" (fraksiun-i 'ashayir), the Democrats were led by the two Bakhtiyari deputies...

[19] Abrahamian 1982, p. 201: Of the eight representatives in the Tudeh Caucus, all came from the ranks of the young intelligentsia, although two were from aristocratic families.

[20] Abrahamian 1978, p. 36: ...ten were inactive - five had their credentials rejected, two died early in the session, another two resigned, and the last was in a British prison for his German connections.

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