One Week Until the Formation of the '24 Million Cabinet'

In its Sunday, August 7, 2017 issue, the Shargh newspaper highlights that "there are 7 days left until the formation of the 24 million cabinet," stating that "one week remains for negotiations and lobbying to form the 24 million cabinet; if it happens." After nearly two months of speculation and negotiations, only one week is left for all these efforts to be reflected in the proposed list from the President to the Parliament, determining whether this list is a testament to loyalty to the votes and demands of the people or not. The newspaper reports that "in this month and a half since efforts to negotiate with the President began, two interaction committees have been formed, one from the Hope faction of the Parliament and the other from the Reformists' Policy Council, to encourage Hassan Rouhani to form a cabinet that reflects the demands of the 24 million people who voted for him." Shargh also notes that "previously, Mohammad Reza Aref, the head of the Hope faction, had personally met with Rouhani twice, and each of the interaction committees from the faction and the Policy Council had met with the elected President once," while "advisors to Hassan Rouhani and some members of Parliament have reported the necessity of a 50% change in the cabinet." Ahmad Shirzad, a reformist figure, emphasized in an interview with the Bahar newspaper that "naturally, Rouhani's government in its second term, if it wants to respond to the needs of the people, must get closer to the reformists and bring in those who have a proper understanding of social demands." This reformist figure stressed that "Rouhani's victory was not a miracle," stating, "It is important that the President is not put under unreasonable pressure due to unjust demands. However, this does not mean that we should passively and graciously step aside and say we are irrelevant. This is not the case. Naturally, the reformists played a role in this movement and must continue to do so." The Arman newspaper also reported that "undoubtedly, the two ministers whose names and signatures are associated with two important agreements of the eleventh government will not be separated from the cabinet and will sit in their ministerial positions for another four years; Mohammad Javad Zarif in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is intertwined with the JCPOA, and Bijan Zanganeh in the Ministry of Oil, who signed the Total oil contract." This newspaper pointed out that "perhaps the most serious minister who was thought not to be present in the twelfth cabinet in most websites and social media was Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior," stating that "apparently he will also remain in the Ministry of Interior." The Javan newspaper, close to the Revolutionary Guards, in its front page referred to a statement titled "Response from the Office for Preservation and Publication of Ayatollah Khamenei's Works to Recent Rumors and Allegations," stating: "The Leader of the Revolution does not interfere in cabinet selection." The statement also mentioned that "the Leader's approach regarding ministerial selections is also specified; the consistent practice in all governments has been coordination with the leadership in selecting ministers of defense, foreign affairs, and intelligence, which is also according to the duties assigned to the leadership in the Constitution regarding foreign policy and defense-security matters." The Javan newspaper quoted the "Office for the Publication of Ayatollah Khamenei's Works" stating that the Leader of the Islamic Republic "has sensitivities regarding some ministries such as science, education, and Islamic guidance, as deviations in these areas can lead to deviations in the country's overall movement towards its ideals, and guarding and monitoring the general movement towards ideals is the leadership's definite duty, but he does not interfere in the selection of officials in these ministries; and regarding the majority of the cabinet in all periods, as far as the history shows, he does not express an opinion, but he always emphasizes that ministers should be hardworking individuals free from controversy." The Aftab Yazd newspaper also highlighted in its front page regarding rumors about the possible absence of Shahindokht Molaverdi and Masoumeh Ebtekar in the twelfth government, stating: "The pleasant smell of the situation does not reach from Pasteur." This newspaper wrote: "Reports indicate that contrary to the President's statements that those who were 'lazy and did not defend' during the election period would not have seats in the twelfth cabinet, instead, those who 'worked hard' during the election and throughout the four years of the government of hope and prudence must now pack their bags and leave Pasteur for nowhere." The Etemad newspaper, while emphasizing the public demand for the introduction of a female minister in the twelfth government, reported that following the news of Shahindokht Molaverdi's removal from the twelfth government, many users on social media attempted to support this current cabinet member with the hashtag 'With Molaverdi,' but "Shahindokht Molaverdi, in a post on her Telegram channel, requested all her supporters to stop this wave and allow the President to choose his cabinet in a calm environment." This newspaper reminded that "from the weeks leading up to the elections, the more prominent presence of women in the future cabinet was raised as part of the demands of women supporting Rouhani, and the issue of a female minister was one of the topics that attracted public attention, and Hassan Rouhani repeatedly emphasized the need to give more space to women in his election speeches among women and students," and even "many who pointed out the necessity of greater activity for women in high managerial positions in the country cited figures like the President's assistant for women's affairs as a successful example." Etemad wrote: "Until just last week, Molaverdi's name was even mentioned among the candidates for minister, but in recent days, news has emerged that the twelfth government does not intend to use female managers in the composition of ministers, and many of Rouhani's supporters on Twitter seemed dissatisfied upon hearing such scattered news, but the removal of a figure like Molaverdi from her position raised the voices of opponents against such a decision." The Iran newspaper, close to the government, reported on Elias Hazrati's proposal regarding the lifting of the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi, stating that this Tehran representative in the tenth Parliament said: "It is possible to take gradual steps by issuing permits for occasional meetings for friends and relatives of the detainees." According to this newspaper, Elias Hazrati also stated: "To implement this plan, it is necessary to allow individuals who are accepted by both the officials and Mr. Karroubi and Mousavi and Mrs. Rahnavard to meet from time to time." The Iran newspaper also quoted Sadegh Kharrazi, the Secretary-General of the Iranian People's Call Party, stating: "Lifting the house arrest requires prudence, and the heads of the three branches must take steps together, and the Secretary of the National Security Council must take action. The expectation of reformists and political activists is that a correct step is taken, and it should not be left as it is." The Shahrevand newspaper, while publishing a report titled "Auctioning City Squares" about "squares like Vali Asr Square that the municipality builds and sells," wrote: "For years, efforts have been made to underground other squares of the capital, and this contagious disease is set to first affect the Haft Tir Square and then other squares like Vanak, Sadeghiyeh, etc. A project that has been on the agenda of the City Council and Tehran Municipality for years." This newspaper reported: "Vali Asr Square has long had an underground life. From the years of construction before the completion of the work by the round-the-clock workers and the inauguration, until today, when part of the square's life has been pushed underground. A square that resembles no other square, and now after all the constructions, investigations by the Shahrevand newspaper show that this event has occurred without the necessary permits, and important attachments for such construction have never seen the color of the specialized commission of Article 5." The Shahrevand newspaper pointed out that during the construction of Vali Asr Square, the municipality's policy has been "money in exchange for the square," stating: "Nothing remains in the city's sky. Everything has been sold in the form of density sales and other matters, and now it is time for underground. This space is only used as a source of income, and in some cases, it has been seen that mobile density sales occur, meaning money has been taken to allow construction wherever the individual wants, which is truly a bad occurrence for the city." Hossein Raghfar, a university professor, also told this newspaper: "All these matters contradict the strategic development document of Tehran, which was approved in 2006 and depicts the horizon of 2026, and is a defect in the document." The Arman newspaper also quoted Mohsen Hashemi, a member of the fifth Tehran City Council, stating: "Tehran has been pre-consumed." The Shahrevand newspaper reported that on Friday, "Matlabi Street in the capital was filled with crowds. People who had come from the early hours of Friday to this side street in the Mashiriyeh area of Tehran to witness the reconstruction of the crime scene in the tragic death of Benita. The scene of the car theft, the father's unsuccessful attempt to stop the thieves, and their escape from the crime scene were reconstructed in the presence of two suspects in the case, police, and members of Benita's family, so that this case could be sent to the criminal court as soon as possible," while "on Thursday morning, Benita's family had a bitter farewell with their daughter and buried her amidst tears and mourning." This newspaper quoted the head of Tehran's Greater Police Investigation Department regarding the reasons for the delay in tracking down the father's car that led to the death of this eight-month-old child, stating: "From the moment the news was reported to the local police station, it is announced. The investigation unit acts, and a file is formed regarding this matter. From one hour after the occurrence of this crime, the police station officers begin their work. All matters, including the announcement of the vehicle's license plate and monitoring the cameras, are done simultaneously, but the suspects travel a short distance after the theft to reach their area of residence. They leave the child in the car while the windows are up, although the car door was not locked." The Iran newspaper reported that "Benita's mother" addressed the law enforcement and judicial officials, saying: "You could not find my angel. I went to the police station, and they told me it was a holiday today; let the holidays finish. I said, if we kill someone, won't you arrest us? The police officer said no because today is a holiday." In this context, "The Bitter Fate of Benita," determining the "floor" for the Revolutionary Guards' entry into economic projects, "aftershocks of the 'good gene' saga," "disappearance of children," changing the battlefield for "proxy forces"; a war against the people in the streets of Iran, the first paragraph; the responsibility of opponents and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society, the death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis, 1300 hours of internet outages; Witkoff: A horrific massacre occurred during the protests in Iran, the death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis, Trump emphasizes "stopping executions in Iran": We do not know what will happen in the future, the account of three witnesses from the situation in Isfahan province; "Like war-torn areas," Trump says if the Islamic Republic carries out a terrorist act against him, "it will be wiped off the face of the earth."