Parliament starts debating ministerial picks
Pezeshkian casts new cabinet as gov’t of national consensus
Iran’s Parliament officially started reviewing the qualifications of proposed ministers in the new administration, with President Masoud Pezeshkian throwing his weight behind his 19 ministerial picks.
“The cabinet that was introduced to the parliament today is the government of national unity; the government of national unity is a government that considers itself the government of all Iranian people. The national unity government is obligated to secure the citizenship rights of all Iranians and is committed to the prioritization of national interests over any other interest,” Pezeshkian told an open session of the Parliament on Saturday.
He also underscored the importance of maintaining unity and cohesion among the three branches of government to resolve the country’s problems.
Pezeshkian called for amicable solutions to address the national and international challenges instead of resorting to harsh measures.
The president said the Islamic Republic is suffering “imbalances” in the economic, societal, environmental, educational and cultural fields but, “Our people showed that they love their country, and if effective procedure is pursued to solve the problems, they will turn out with all their strength.”
He underlined the significance of policy- and decision-making based on a scientific approach, as well as solving problems in light of collective wisdom instead of relying on personal opinions and tastes.
Pezeshkian also emphasized his resolve to fight against corruption and respect freedom of speech as well as criticism and national dialogue.
“Economy is the cornerstone of the country’s problems, but dissociating the economy from other areas and reducing it to conventional economic issues is a big mistake. Today, simultaneous reforms in international relations and internal reforms are the only way out of the current situation,” Pezeshkian said.
He submitted the list of his new cabinet members to the Parliament on August 11, less than two weeks after he was sworn in before the country’s legislators.
Pezeshkian’s cabinet lineup has ruffled the feathers of a number of individuals in the Reformist camp but he has defended his proposed ministers and has called on critics to “wait for the cabinet to start work and criticize it based on its performance.”
Opponents and
supporters
During the Saturday’s session, opponents and supporters of the president’s cabinet lineup also expressed their views on the proposed ministers and the government’s plans.
The opponent lawmaker, Hosseinali Haji-Deligani, said the legislators expected the president to unveil his detailed plans for resolving issues such as housing, subsidies and foreign nationals living in Iran.
Another lawmaker Moslem Salehi pointed to the ministers’ experiences, saying that some of the proposed ministers have weak resumes.
Majid Nasirpour complained about the high average age of the proposed ministers, which is about 60.
Pezeshkian’s supporters hailed his cabinet lineup.
Reza Alizadeh described the formation of the national unity government by the president as an unprecedented move, saying that it is happening in the country after several decades and we should appreciate it.
Rahim Zare appreciated the government’s proposed economic team.
Mehrdad Goodarzvand Chegini said Pezeshkian proved that by choosing a cross-party cabinet, he is actually seeking to live up to his election promises.