gust 1997); First Vice President Hasan Ebrahim HABIBI (since NA
August 1989)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
legislative approval
elections: supreme leader appointed for life by the Council of
Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA May 2001)
election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani elected president;
percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 69%

Legislative branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (270 seats; members elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 March and 19 April 1996 (next to be held NA
March 2000)
election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Iran has no political parties; the most
important political "groupings" are-Tehran Militant Clergy
Association, Secretary General Ayatollah Mohammad EMAMI-KASHANI;
Militant Clerics Association, Mehdi MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar
MUSAVI-KHOINIHA; Servants of Reconstruction (G-6), Mohammad
HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI, Hosein MARASHI

Political pressure groups and leaders: groups that generally support
the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Mojahedin of the
Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam,
and the Islamic Coalition Association; opposition groups include the
Liberation Movement of Iran and the Nation of Iran party; armed
political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the
government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's
Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan; the Society for the
Defense of Freedom

International organization participation: CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO,
G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note-Iran has an Interests
Section in the Pakistani Embassy, headed by Faramarz FATH-NEJAD;
address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note-protecting power in
Iran is Switzerland

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white,