Deputy Prime Minister of Persia

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The **Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Persia** (Persian: **معاون نخست وزیر جمهوری فارس**), sometimes known as the **Alternate Prime Minister of the Republic of Persia** (Persian: **نخست وزیر جایگزین جمهوری فارس**), is a government minister designated as the official deputy to the prime minister and is usually awarded to a senior member of either the governing party or a political party within the governing coalition; in the latter instance, the office is awarded to the party leader of all parties who do not have a member as prime minister.

Unlike the office of prime minister or acting prime minister, the role of deputy prime minister or alternate prime minister does not exist in the constitution, and was instead established through presidential degree on June 10, 2039 as part of the coalition negotiations for the Second Al-Khalifa Ministry. Whilst the two titles are often used interchangeably when both are in use, the roles of deputy prime minister and alternate prime minister are separate - the position of deputy prime minister can be conferred upon any individual by either the president or prime minister and can be held by several people simultaneously. Contrastingly, the role of alternate prime minister is only awarded if the individual is designated as a future prime minister as part of a rotational coalition agreement or is elsewise scheduled to assume the premiership as part of the terms of government, and is normally held simultaneously as an extension of the office of deputy prime minister.

Within government, the position of deputy prime minister has no official power but wields significant *de-facto* influence in cabinet and officeholders are frequently consulted on major issues and government policies to ensure that legislation has the full support of important factions in the government. Deputy prime ministers also act as representatives of the prime minister, themselves a representative of the president, and can act on behalf of the prime minister in the National People's Congress or when the prime minister is abroad. The role of alternate prime minister holds significantly more power in government, with alternate prime ministers being treated more like a co-prime minister than a deputy, though this is not required under the constitution.

One of the most unique elements of the role of alternate prime minister is that the incumbent is scheduled to assume the office of prime minister and switch places with the current prime minister at some point during the lifespan of the government. There is no constitutional mechanism for this process, which is instead conducted by the president using their power to appoint and dismiss ministers at will - the switching of prime minister and their alternate normally will occur on a pre-agreed date, though it is possible for the president to dismiss the prime minister in favour of their alternate at any point in the government's term. Deputy prime ministers can also become prime ministers under certain circumstances; in the instance that the prime minister resigns, dies in office, or is elsewise removed from office but the cabinet wishes to and is able to continue in office, then a deputy prime minister may be designated as the new prime minister or as acting prime minister until a permanent replacement is appointed.