Upholding “Parliamentary Supremacy”

What is it about?

Parliamentary developments are often considered relatively minor issues in the history of 1920s Iran. During the decade, Rezā Khān (Prime Minister 1923–1925; later Rezā Shāh Pahlavi 1925–1941) consolidated his power with the assistance of the army, ultimately leading to the establishment of his dictatorial reign. However, there were some attempts to resist his rise through parliamentary activities and law-making. The fiscal reform bills introduced by the Minister of Finance Mohammad Mosaddeq under the first Ahmad Qavām cabinet (1921–1922) were notable examples of these efforts. This paper aims to analyze these reform bills, focusing on legal arguments and their political background._x000D_ The analysis of parliamentary and other contemporary sources reveals the disagreement between Mosaddeq and Assembly Members; the former pushed for expeditious and drastic reforms by delegating some parts of their legislative processes to the government, while the latter prioritized consensus-building in the National Assembly through careful discussion. These disagreements gradually created a gulf between them, although both roughly shared the necessity and direction of the fiscal reforms. This accelerated the collapse of the Qavām cabinet and the emergence of Rezā Khān’s dictatorial reign among parliamentary disturbance.

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