The Right of National Sovereignty and its Ensuing Powers

Article 56: Absolute sovereignty over the world and the human being belongs to God. And it is He who has made human beings sovereign over their social destiny. No one can take this divine right away from human beings or apply it to the interests of a special person or group. The nation exercises this God-given right in ways that are specified in the following articles.

Article 57: The governing powers in the Islamic Republic of Iran consist of the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary powers. They operate under the supervision of the absolute authority of the command (velayat-i amr) and religious leadership (imamat) of the community of believers and according to the forthcoming articles of this law. These powers are independent of one another.

Article 58: The legislative power operates through the Islamic Consultative Assembly that consists of the elected representatives of the people. Its legislatures, after going through stages that will be specified in the following articles, are communicated for enforcement to the executive and judiciary powers.

Article 59: In considering vital economic, political, social, and cultural issues, it is possible that

the legislative power be exercised through referendum or reference to direct public vote. The

request to appeal to public votes must be approved by two-thirds of the entire representatives of

the Assembly.

Article 606

The executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic and the ministers, except in affairs that are directly delegated to the leadership by this law.

5 Article 57 (1979 Edition): The governing powers in the Islamic Republic of Iran consist of the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary powers. They are exercised according to the forthcoming articles of this law under the supervision of the authority of the command (velayat-i amr) and the continuous religious leadership (imamat) of the community of believers. These powers are independent of each other and the President of the Republic establishes the association among them. 6 Article 60 (1979 Edition): The executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic, the ministers, and the prime minister, except in affairs that are directly delegated to the leadership by this law. 16 Article 61: The judiciary power is exercised by the courts of justice that must be formed according to Islamic criteria. The courts must attend to the evaluation and settlement of complaints, the preservation of public rights, and the expansion and administration of justice, and the upholding of the divine bounds.