MARDOM PARTY

A government-sponsored political party, created in Iran in 1957 as an opposition party.

As a result of pressure for democracy and in the hope of giving the appearance of a two-party system, the Mardom party was established as an "opposition" party under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's rule in Iran in 1957. Its founder, Amir Asadollah Alam, was a large landlord, a former prime minister, and a close associate and confidant of the shah. The party's official platform included such issues as raising the standard of living for farmers, workers, and government officials, as well as facilitating the acquisition of land by the farmers. Together with the "official" government party, the Nationalist party or Hezb-e Melliyun, however, the Mardom party came to have a reputation for being a government organ, the Nationalist being known as the "yes" party and the Mardom as the "yes, sir" party. In 1975, the Mardom party was dissolved when the shah decided to revert to a one-party system and started the Rastakhiz party. Many people point to the establishment and dissolution of the Mardom party, both government-inspired, as indications of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's failure in developing Iran's political system.

see also alam, amir asadollah.

Bibliography

Abrahamian, Ervand. Iran between Two Revolutions. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1982.

Wilber, Donald N. Iran: Past and Present: From Monarchy to Islamic Republic, 9th edition. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1981.

parvaneh pourshariati