8 April and 13 May 1988 1992 → Turnout 59.72% | Registered 27,986,736 | |
Parliamentary elections were held in Iran on 8 April 1988, with a second round on 13 May. The result was a victory for leftist politicians who later emerged as reformists. The number of clerics elected to the Majlis was reduced by over a third.
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Electoral system
The constitution approved in a December 1979 referendum provided for a 270-seat Majlis, with five seats reserved for minority groups including Jews, Zorastrians, Armenians from the north and south of the country and one jointly elected by Assyrians and Chaldeans.
The elections were conducted using a two-round system, with the number of candidates progressing to the second round being double the number of seats available. Candidates required an absolute majority to win a seat in the first round, and plurality to win in the second round.
Campaign
Around 1,400 candidates contested the elections, including around 30 women. 188 seats were won in the first round of voting. There were three main groups contesting in the elections, namely:
Aftermath
The newly elected Majlis met for the first time on 28 May, and elected Mir-Hossein Mousavi as Prime Minister on 30 June.