City and Village Councils of Iran
The Islamic Councils ( fa, شوراهای اسلامی), formerly known as the Provincial Societies ( fa, انجمنهای ایالتی و ولایتی, anjoman-ha-ye ayalati va velayati) are local councils which are elected by public vote in a ...
were held on 26 February 1999, for the first time in the
history of the Islamic Republic of Iran
One of the most dramatic changes in government in Iran's history was seen with the 1979 Iranian Revolution where Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown and replaced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The authoritarian monarchy was replaced by ...
to elect some 200,000 seats. Though many sources consider the elections the first local elections since the
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
, two decade earlier 1979 local elections took place in a more limited scope.
These elections saw great levels of public participation and civic engagement and still tend to be viewed as an "historic moment" and important opportunity for citizens to play an active part in the management of their municipalities at a local level.
In many large cities, especially
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
and
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
, candidates from 2nd of Khordad movement won the elections. Independents were elected in most rural areas, reflecting concern for local issues which competed with the wider national debate over an emerging “
civil society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.
The elections marked an unprecedented presence of women in politics of Iran, 114 women won first or second place in 109 cities.
There were 23,668,739 votes cast in this election.
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...