1953 Iranian parliamentary dissolution referendum

A referendum on the dissolution of Parliament, the first referendum ever held in Iran, was held in August 1953. The dissolution was approved by more than 99% of voters.

1953 Iranian parliamentary dissolution referendum

3–10 August 1953 (1953-08-03 – 1953-08-10)
Dissolution or Continuation of the 17th National Consultative Assembly
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 2,043,389 99.94% No 1,207 0.06% Valid votes 2,044,596 100.00% Invalid or blank votes 4 0.00% Total votes 2,044,600 100.00%

Following the referendum, there were talks about another referendum to abolish the Pahlavi dynasty and make Iran a republic, however the government was overthrown by a coup d'état shortly after.^[1][2]

Timeline

• 12 July: PM Mohammad Mosaddegh openly announced his intention to hold the referendum,^[3] asking people to either choose between his government or the 17th Parliament.^[4]
• 14 July: The decision to hold the referendum was approved by the cabinet.^[3]
• 3 August: The referendum was held in Tehran.^[4]
• 10 August: The referendum was held in other cities.^[4]
• 13 August: The official results of the polls were declared by the interior ministry.^[3]
• 16 August: Mosaddegh officially announced the dissolution of the parliament.^[5]
• 19 August: The government was overthrown in a coup d'état.^[3]

Campaign

Position	Organization	Ref
Yes	Iran Party	[2]
	Iranian People Party	[2]
	Tudeh Party	[2]
	Pan-Iranist Party	[2]
	Nation Party	[2]
	Third Force	[6]
Boycott	Toilers Party	[2]
	Muslim Warriors	[2]

Conduct

The balloting was not secret and there were two separate voting booths, i.e. the opponents of Mossadegh had to cast their vote in a separate tent.^[7][1] Critics pointed that the referendum had ignored the democratic demand for secret ballots.^[8]

Results

Choice	Votes	%
For	2,043,389	99.94
Against	1,207	0.06
Invalid/blank votes	4	–
Total	2,044,600	100
Source: Direct Democracy

By city

City	Yes	No
Tehran[9]	101,396	67
Tabriz[10]	41,502	3
Isfahan[10]	43,505	11
Ahvaz[10]	22,771	2
Mashhad[10]	26,547	9

Reactions

Domestic

• Ayatollah Kashani said taking part in such a referendum is haraam (religiously prohibited). However, Ayatollah Boroujerdi supported the referendum.^[4]
• Mohammad Reza Shah declared the results "fraudulant".^[4]

International

• United States: On 5 August 1953, the U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, speaking to a gathering of state governors in Seattle, criticized Mosaddegh for the decision and specified, that it had been supported by the communist party. An editorial published by The New York Times on 4 August characterized the exercise as "More fantastic and farcical than any ever held under Hitler or Stalin", and an effort by Mosaddegh "to make himself unchallenged dictator of the country".^[11]