Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 584 Parliamentary Elections
The newspapers delivered to the Shah were filled with praise for the constitutional monarchy and the Shah's wisdom, followed by reports on the situation in various regions, detailing the open and covert struggles between nobles, ulima, and ordinary citizens. Reporters, drawn by this news, were eager to get their hands on it, willing to go to great lengths for it.

“A march took place in Isfahan, with merchants and students protesting the tyranny of the nobles.”

"100,000 people marched in Tabriz to support constitutional reform."

"The Tehran petition team has arrived in Baghdad."

Murad looked at these headlines and gained a new understanding of the local reaction. The facade of peace had been torn apart, the political system dominated by nobles and landowners had collapsed, and a new class was beginning to speak out.

"This is a new era, and we should listen to more different voices."

Nasser al-Din is currently drafting the list for the Senate. Although the nominations are based on a three-thirds system, no nobles can become members without the Shah's approval. The local council electoral colleges were previously formed following the model of the expert council. Who comes to power and who goes out of power all depend on the Shah's word.

Among the major contributors, the military accounted for 30%, industry and commerce for 40%, and universities and academies for 30%. The nobility, including local chieftains and special lords, comprised 60%. To prevent them from continuing to exert influence locally, they were brought together in Baghdad.

Of all the members of the Senate, Shia Muslims make up 91%, with the remainder being Sunni Muslims and members of other religions. Even among religious scholars, there are only two Sunnis, with the rest being Shia Muslims.

"Notify these people and tell them to get to Baghdad as soon as possible."

"Yes"

Nasser al-Din distributed the list of members of parliament and notified them to travel to the capital. Meanwhile, he continued to monitor developments across the country after the constitutional reforms; the clashes between the aristocratic landowners and the emerging bourgeois intellectuals were truly fascinating.

This was also reflected in political parties: the Progressive and Revival parties received more support from landowners and the aristocracy, while the Liberal and Whig parties had higher support among intellectuals. Based on their performance at the conference of experts that year, the Progressive and Revival parties were dubbed the "Government Party," and the Liberal Party was referred to as the "People's Party."

Having learned from the experience of the previous expert council elections, the Iranian parliamentary elections proceeded much more smoothly this time. Newspapers became a battleground for public opinion among the various political parties.

Several political parties engaged in heated debates on all aspects of domestic policy, from agricultural reform to industrial policy, and from military matters to trade. No one was willing to yield, each believing their own perspective was correct.

Diplomacy also became a point of contention, with the Progressive Party advocating in newspapers to further deepen the friendship between Iran and Austria, and to form an anti-Russian alliance with Germany. This move was endorsed by the Austrian ambassador.

The Liberal Party argued for creating a peaceful society, which required maintaining good relations with Britain and France, as well as preserving current relations with Russia. This view was endorsed by both Britain and France. The very next day, news arrived that a riot had broken out at a local election station in Tabriz. Several landowners' hired thugs attempted to steal votes but were apprehended on the spot by soldiers who had been deployed beforehand. When the news reached Baghdad, the Progressive Party immediately published articles accusing the Liberal Party of "colluding with local forces to sabotage the election"; the Liberal Party quickly responded, claiming that "aristocrats supported by the Progressive Party tried to manipulate the votes and, after being caught, turned the tables." The propaganda war between the two sides intensified, even in Tehran cafes, patrons were divided, arguing heatedly for their respective parties.

Police across the country began maintaining order, and the National Security Agency secretly dispatched undercover agents to investigate any destabilizing factors. No one, regardless of their background, was allowed to disrupt the election.

To ensure the public fully understood the party's platform, Shah ordered a debate to be held in a Baghdad theater. However, it quickly turned into a disturbance.

As the leader of the Progressive Party, Abdul Hamid, was surrounded by a group of reporters, he pointed to a banner behind him that read "Uphold the Fairness of Elections" and passionately declared: "The Freedom Party, in its attempt to seize power, has colluded with local evil forces. This behavior is a trampling on the Constitution and a betrayal of the Iranian people!" As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of agreement immediately rose from the crowd.

Not far away, Liberal Party leader Mohamed Reza Shah was equally defiant. Facing the cameras, he held up a newspaper displaying correspondence between the Progressive Party and the nobility, his tone firm: "Look, everyone, this is the Progressive Party's so-called 'fairness'! They secretly supported the nobility in manipulating elections, and when they were caught, they turned around and accused the other side. Such lies will be exposed sooner or later!" The flashes of reporters' cameras intensified, pushing the tense atmosphere between the two to a climax.

The debate among the audience below was so intense it almost seemed to lift the roof off. A businessman in a long robe pointed at the students in suits opposite him and roared, "The Progressive Party is the one truly thinking of the country! Only by allying with Austria and Germany can we resist Russian aggression and develop industry! You Liberal Party members only talk about peace; sooner or later you'll drag the country into the abyss!"

The student blushed and retorted, "What do you know! Britain and France have advanced technology and vast markets. Maintaining good relations with them is the only way to promote trade! Turning against Russia will only drag us into a quagmire of war!" The surrounding crowd split into two factions, blaming each other, and some even rolled up their sleeves, seemingly about to fight. The only policeman was sweating profusely, trying to calm things down while simultaneously calling the police department for help.

The fierce election battles weren't limited to this region; they occurred across the country. Cabinet interference in the elections took many forms, from direct intervention to sending agents to carry out attacks. For example, the Home Office attempted to arrest several high-ranking Liberal Party officials on charges of insulting the government in the Liberal Party's official newspaper, but this failed due to opposition from the Director of the Legislative Affairs Bureau and the Minister of Justice.

In the latter, the Ba'ath Party and the Whig Party fought fiercely for seats in Mashhad. The local mayor mobilized local gangsters to intimidate voters into voting for the Ba'ath Party, which resulted in clashes between Whig Party members and the Whig Party, leaving three dead and 17 injured.

Meanwhile, in distant Europe, countries such as Britain, France, Russia, and Austria were closely monitoring the situation in Iran. They knew that Iran's constitutional reform was not only crucial to the country's future but also to their interests in West Asia.

On March 15, the first general election for the House of Commons officially began. Voters with the right to vote determined the distribution of the 350 seats, casting their ballots from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., followed by the vote counting phase.

The results from each province were transmitted to Baghdad by telegram, while various newspapers speculated on who would win the parliamentary elections. By noon the following day, all the results had been tallied.

The Progressive Party won 123 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament; followed by the Liberal Party with 112 seats, the Warsaw Party with 65 seats, and the Whig Party with 34 seats. The remaining seats were won by independents and representatives from smaller parties. The Progressive and Warsaw parties together held 188 seats, more than half of Parliament, ensuring continued government stability.

(End of this chapter)