Aref Defends Proposed Cabinet; Head of Pezeshkian's Election Headquarters: I Don't Know Most Ministers

The First Vice President of Iran has rejected criticisms of the proposed cabinet of the fourteenth government, while the head of Masoud Pezeshkian's election headquarters states that he does not know most of the individuals introduced to the parliament. Many political figures, especially reformists and supporters of Mr. Pezeshkian in the elections, social media activists, and journalists have expressed disappointment with this composition, stating that this cabinet does not meet the expectations of those who voted for change. The cabinet was supposed to be selected by the members of the 'Guiding Council,' who were responsible for introducing names for a vote of confidence in the parliament, but the head of this council, Mohammad Javad Zarif, resigned simultaneously with the announcement of the ministers' names amid rising disputes and criticisms. On Tuesday, August 22, Ali Abdolali Zadeh, the head of Masoud Pezeshkian's election headquarters, stated in an interview with ILNA news agency that he does not know most of the individuals introduced for the fourteenth cabinet. He explained that for this reason, he has 'no specific evaluation and hopes that his cabinet [Masoud Pezeshkian] will succeed.' On the other hand, Mohammad Reza Aref, who has been appointed as the First Vice President, stated on Tuesday in comments that may respond to the criticisms raised, that these days 'there is unfairness towards the valuable character of Dr. Pezeshkian.' He also referred to other criticisms regarding the age composition of the cabinet, distinguishing youthfulness from 'youth-burning,' stating that 'one can place a young person in a position and then after two months, their file is closed forever.' The presidential website, quoting Mohammad Reza Aref, also stated: 'Our society is not psychologically prepared for the leadership and guidance of women.' Some media have reported that Ensieh Khazali, the Deputy for Women and Family Affairs in Ebrahim Raisi's government, called for more women to be included in the fourteenth government during her farewell session with Mr. Aref, to which Mr. Aref apparently responded in this manner. These statements have faced reactions on social media. Previously, some criticized the presence of only one woman in the list of proposed ministers, contrary to Mohammad Javad Zarif's promises regarding the cabinet composition. The First Vice President also claimed in another session held in the government’s Economic Council that the fourteenth government does not pay attention to the 'political thoughts' of individuals and is seeking to realize the 'ideals and values' of the Islamic Republic and fulfill Mr. Pezeshkian's promises, including addressing the 'livelihood and economic problems of the people.' Another recent criticism of the cabinet composition, raised by the Reform Front as the most important political organization supporting Masoud Pezeshkian, is the presence of individuals in the proposed minister list who are from the opposing faction and have no connection to Mr. Pezeshkian's promises. In this list, the ministers of intelligence and justice from Ebrahim Raisi's government have been retained, and just a day earlier, Masoud Pezeshkian also retained the head of the Atomic Energy Organization in his position. Meanwhile, the new President of Iran has remained silent in recent days regarding the selection process and the individuals introduced as ministers to the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Mr. Pezeshkian, contrary to the usual tradition, has not yet held a press conference after being elected as President, which has also become another focal point of criticism against him in the media and social networks. Despite various criticisms, Eshaq Jahangiri, the First Vice President of Hassan Rouhani's government, reacted to these criticisms in a message published on his Telegram channel on Tuesday, August 22. He stated that Masoud Pezeshkian should not be left alone. According to Mr. Jahangiri, 'If the supporters of the President leave him alone, everyone will suffer.' He, who was a supporter of Masoud Pezeshkian in the fourteenth presidential election, further addressed the critics: 'A difficult path lies ahead, but let us believe and hope in the miracle of dialogue.' The criticisms of the proposed cabinet continue. Meanwhile, the newspaper Jomhouri Eslami also criticized the proposed ministers in its Tuesday issue, stating that this is not a 'cabinet of change.' In an editorial, the newspaper stated: 'The title of 'national consensus' for a cabinet and a government, if it means being quota-based, is wrong. The interpretation of 'national consensus' as forming a cabinet with individuals from various tendencies is completely unscientific and illogical and even contrary to 'consensus.' The Jomhouri Eslami newspaper also stated that the proposed cabinet 'lacks ideological and directional coherence' and that the introduced ministers are not on the same level in terms of 'efficiency.' Mehdi Mahmoudian, a former political prisoner, reacted to the proposed cabinet of the president on social media, referring to Mr. Pezeshkian's previous statements, stating that he 'delivered a strong blow to the face of many who called for participation in the elections' by selecting many of these individuals for the cabinet. However, some others remain hopeful and say that one should not lose hope so soon; among them are Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a parliamentary deputy in the reformist government, and Sadegh Zibakalam, a political activist and supporter of Masoud Pezeshkian. However, Mr. Zibakalam specified in a text on social media that the list of the fourteenth cabinet ministers is very disappointing. He wrote: 'Between the cabinet that Mr. Pezeshkian introduced and the expectations from his cabinet, there is not a gap but a deep chasm. However, I remain hopeful.' Mr. Zibakalam also stated that he voted not for an ideal cabinet but for 'progress and not advancement' to prevent the 'purification' of revolutionaries from continuing. However, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, the parliamentary deputy in the reformist government, reacted to the publication of the list of 19 ministers of the fourteenth government on social media, stating that he wished the President would at least explain the reasons for selecting ministers that are 'hard to digest for his supporters' or at least those appointed should do so. He, however, wrote a few hours later that one should defend this cabinet regardless of the characteristics of the ministers. Mr. Abtahi wrote on social media: 'In the constitution, power is divided. Pezeshkian was not supposed to fight. The people are tired of fighting. For this reason, I believe we should defend Pezeshkian's cabinet regardless of the characteristics of the ministers.' Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi, the proposed Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament on Tuesday, where the spokesperson of this commission stated that Mr. Araghchi considered himself 'subordinate' to the policies of 'high-ranking officials of the country.' Ibrahim Rezaei quoted the proposed foreign minister as saying, 'My worldview is the same as my worldview during my service in the IRGC and has not changed, and I am not part of the New Yorkers' gang.' The 'New Yorkers' gang' is a term that some opponents of Hassan Rouhani's government used to refer to Mohammad Javad Zarif and his deputies in the eleventh and twelfth governments. Abbas Araghchi was one of these deputies and played a significant role in negotiations related to the nuclear agreement with the West known as 'JCPOA' and later in negotiations with the Biden administration at the end of Mr. Rouhani's second term to revive the JCPOA. Fada Hossein Maleki, another member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, also stated that Mr. Araghchi's views are much closer to the overarching policies of the system. Mohammad Bagheri Banab, a member of the Independent Faction of the Parliament, also predicted on Tuesday that Abbas Araghchi would receive a vote of confidence from the Parliament. Part of Masoud Pezeshkian's promises during election debates with his rivals related to foreign policy and the necessity of returning to the JCPOA and passing laws related to FATF to create the groundwork for foreign investment in Iran.