Secretary Majid Bahmanzadeh | Spokesperson Majid Mohtashami Headquarters Tehran, Iran | |
Claiming secretary-generals Ali FaeziMohammad-Javad Haghshenas Founded 1999 (Initial activities)January 7, 2005 (2005-01-07)January 1, 2012 (2012-01-01) (Rebirth) | ||
Reformists Front (Persian: جبهه اصلاحطلبان), formerly called Democracy Front (Persian: جبهه مردمسالاری) and Front for Consolidation of Democracy (Persian: جبهه تحکیم دموکراسی), is an Iranian reformist political alliance of "little-known parties" formerly pivoted by Democracy Party.
Contents
2008 parliamentary election
In Iranian legislative election, 2008, they formed "Popular Coalition of Reforms", consisting of 14 groups. Mostafa Kavakebian and Fatemeh Karroubi were key figures of the alliance. Other than Democracy Party, Islamic Assembly of Women and some of Islamic Iran Solidarity Party politicians –not the party itself– were notable parties of the coalition. The coalition was allied with National Trust Party and Moderation and Development Party in the election and competed with Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front's "Reformists Coalition: Friends of Khatami" list, as well as conservative United Front of Principlists and Principlists Pervasive Coalition.
2012 parliamentary election
Led by Mostafa Kavakebian, in the Iranian legislative election, 2012 they were renamed to "Reformists Front", a name similar to the "Reforms Front" —which decided not to participate in the election. Some reformist groups ruled out any cooperation with the Reformists Front, and some even labeled them as “fake reformists” (Persian: اصلاحطلبان بدلی). In Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr electoral district they were allied with the Worker House and endorsed 15 shared candidates. The two groups were the most notable reformist parties competing in the elections.
Democracy Party departure and front split
In early summer 2014, Democracy Party left the front in order to be able to remain in the Council for coordinating the Reforms Front. Following the exit, a split occurred in the front. One faction blieved the Deputy Secretary-General Mohammad-Javad Haghshenas takes the Secretary-General office, and the other faction elected Ali Faezi as the new Secretary-General and retained Majid Mohtashami as Spokesperson. On 26 October 2014, one faction tried to register the front in the Ministry of Interior and become the legitimate faction. In October 2014, former leader Mostafa Kavakebian criticized their decision to form a parallel reformist alliance in 2008, but defended their participation in 2012.
2016 parliamentary election
The front issued a list for the Iranian legislative election, 2016 which was 100% overlapping with the List of Hope.
Membership
The front includes minor political parties as well as local parties and less formal groups and organizations. Groups mentioned as members of the alliance by sources include: