Moderate Socialists (Persian: اجتماعیون اعتدالیون, romanized: Ejtemāʿīyūn-e eʿtedālīyūn) or simply Moderates Party (Persian: فرقه اعتدالیون), was a political party in Qajari Persia and one of the two major parties of the constitutional period alongside its parliamentary rival Social Democratic Party–Democrat Party.[2] It was Iran's first right-wing political party.[5]
Moderate Socialists Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Disputed |
| Parliamentary leader | Mohammad-Sadegh Tabatabaei |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Dissolved | 1918 |
| Succeeded by | Reformers' Party[1] |
| Newspaper | Waqt[2] Majles[2] |
| Ideology | Moderation[2] Gradualism[3] Conservatism[4] Constitutionalism[1] |
| Religion | Islam[2] |
Members
The party membership consisted largely of landowners, constitutionalist ulema[2] and bazaaris. It espoused the traditional middle-class and landed aristocracy.[1] Notable members and supporters were:[2][1]
Views
The party claimed to uphold the principles of Islam, proposing military, judicial, and economic reforms, as well as strengthening the constitutional monarchy, convening the Senate, protecting family values, private property, limitation of the work week and wages in accordance with work performed, and prohibition of child labor. It also expressed support for freedom of association and freedom of the press.[2][1]
Parliament election results
| Election | Seats | Quota[6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count[6] | ± | % | ± | ||
| 1906 | 35 / 156 | — | 22.43 | — | Majority party as Moderates |
| 1909 | 74 / 126 |  39 | 58.73 | 36.3 | Majority in coalition Including 38 in coalition |
| 1914 | 29 / 115 |  45 | 25.21 | 33.52 | Minority |