A History of the Formation of Associations and City Councils in Rasht
According to the correspondent of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Rasht, Mortaza Shogof, the author of the book «A Look at the Formation and Activities of Rasht City Associations and Councils», has compiled the activities of Rasht’s associations and councils from 1286 (1907-1908) to 1400 (2021-2022) and presented their history.
This book, published by Farhang Ilia Publications in 808 pages and a quarto format, is available to enthusiasts for 750,000 Tomans.
The book has two sections and eight chapters; the first section explains Rasht City Associations from their inception until 1357 (1978-1979) in three chapters, including Chapter One: from 1286 (1907-1908) to 1300 (1921-1922), Chapter Two: from 1300 (1921-1922) to 1320 (1941-1942), and Chapter Three: from 1320 (1941-1942) to 1357 (1978-1979) (Second Pahlavi era). The second section covers the Islamic City Councils of Rasht in five chapters, including Chapter One: the first term of Rasht City Council and its resolutions from March 29, 1999, to April 29, 2003, Chapter Two: the second term of Rasht City Council and its resolutions from April 29, 2003, to April 25, 2007, Chapter Three: the third term of Rasht City Council and its resolutions from April 29, 2007, to January 21, 2013, Chapter Four: the fourth term of Rasht City Council and its resolutions from September 3, 2013, to August 13, 2017, and Chapter Five: the fifth term of Rasht City Council and its resolutions from August 23, 2017, to August 3, 2021.
The author states in the book’s preface: ‘The motivation that led me to address the topic of Rasht City Council in different periods arose from questions posed by the citizens of this city, due to my presence as the elected mayor of the first term of this city’s council. Another goal of compiling this book is to raise citizens’ awareness and ultimately help them elect the most qualified individuals to the city parliament in the future. I refrained from delving into specific details for or against individuals or members of the council in various periods, as it would minimize the value and credibility of the book, and will only focus on the outcomes of that institution’s performance and resolutions… City parliaments in all countries worldwide, especially civilized countries, serve as a valuable and effective pillar and the foundation of democracy; therefore, this country can also make optimal use of this position with citizens’ awareness, which requires understanding the true performance of councils.’
Councils in Iran have a history of over a hundred years, which many of today’s civilized First World countries lacked, and before 1357 (1978-1979), they were known to the general public as ‘City Associations.’ However, citizens, due to a lack of attention to their valuable duties or because of limitations in various periods that prevented the presence of worthy and informed individuals about urban services as council candidates, have not shown the necessary diligence in electing and involving committed intellectuals and thinkers. It is necessary to speak about the process of city parliaments, which began under the name of ‘City Associations,’ to introduce the importance of the city council.
Mortaza Shogof, born in 1328 (1949-1950) in Rasht, holds a master’s degree in Civil Engineering (Urban Traffic specialization) and served as the mayor of Rasht from 1380 (2001-2002) to 1382 (2003-2004).
