Proposed Ministers of Rouhani to be Introduced to Parliament on Tuesday

The Deputy Speaker and some members of the Parliament's presiding board announced that the proposed ministers of Hassan Rouhani will be introduced on Tuesday, August 8. Several members of the reformist faction in Parliament, known as the Hope faction, also stated that the Parliament is likely to reject two or three of the proposed ministers. According to Tasnim News Agency, Gholamreza Kateb, a member of the Parliament's presiding board, said on Sunday, August 6, that Eshaq Jahangiri, the First Vice President, informed him that the list of government members will be sent to the Parliament on Tuesday. Masoud Pezeshkian, the Deputy Speaker, also announced that based on consultations, the government members will be introduced to the Parliament on Tuesday. Hassan Rouhani presented his government list to the Parliament during the 2013 inauguration ceremony, but unlike the previous term, no letter introducing the ministers was submitted to the Parliament on Saturday. Meanwhile, some reformist political figures, including Mohammad Ali Abtahi and Gholamreza Zarifian, predicted that there might be changes in Rouhani's proposed minister list in the coming days. In recent weeks, many reports about the potential list of Hassan Rouhani's government members have been published, and Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker, and Mahmoud Sadeghi and Gholamreza Heydari, two members of the Hope faction, criticized the coordination of the complete list of the twelfth government with the Supreme Leader. Subsequently, the office of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged that he intervenes in the selection of the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Intelligence, and has 'sensitivities' regarding the selection of ministers of Science, Education, and Culture and Islamic Guidance. In this context, Mostafa Tajzadeh, a reformist political activist, referred to what he called 'pressures in the past two months and on the eve of introducing the new government on Hassan Rouhani,' stating that Rouhani introduced nine candidates for the Ministry of Science to Ayatollah Khamenei, none of whom were approved. Morteza Kazemian, a journalist based in Paris, stated in an interview with Radio Farda: 'The reality is that Rouhani has a difficult task ahead of him to meet the views and considerations of the central power core, specifically the Supreme Leader, while also responding to the demands of civil society and fulfilling his electoral promises and slogans. He must take into account the 'sensitivities' of the regime's top figure, which were also reflected in the announcement from the Leader's office. Furthermore, if he does not consider reformists in his ministerial selections or leans towards unqualified candidates, he will face a noticeable decline in social support, especially among the cultural middle class.' Meanwhile, Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran, stated that Rouhani's proposed ministers for the Ministries of Science and Education 'are far from ideal options.' According to Sadeghi, Ali Khaki Sadiq, the head of Kharazmi University, is likely to be introduced as the Minister of Science, and Rouhani's candidate for the Ministry of Education is Ali Zarafshan, the current deputy of this ministry. Additionally, Elias Hazrati, a representative from Tehran, tweeted that based on his assessments, two or three ministers will not receive a vote of confidence, and the proposed Minister of Education 'has the least chance.' Meanwhile, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior, announced that he will remain in his position, and his reappointment has drawn criticism from some reformists. The appointment of governors and mayors in coordination with the conservative representatives of the ninth Parliament, the cancellation of reformists' speeches, and the non-issuance of the credentials of Minou Khalighi from Isfahan are among the criticisms reformists have directed at Rahmani Fazli's performance. In this context, Qasem Mirzaei Niko, a member of the Hope faction, stated that the Minister of Interior has 'not even attracted a single moderate force' among the 31 governors, and many governors and district governors were not even 'aligned with the government's own approach.' He mentioned that he has discussed with about 10 to 12 members of the Hope faction, and it is likely that this faction will not give a vote of confidence to several proposed ministers. Mirzaei Niko also stated that some members of the Hope faction have criticisms regarding the proposed ministers of Science, Education, and Communications and Information Technology, and it has been decided to gather more information about them. According to some reports, Mahmoud Vaezi, the current Minister of Communications and Information Technology, will be appointed as the Chief of Staff of the President of Iran in the next government. Vaezi has stated that Hassan Rouhani has agreed to introduce one of his deputies for this ministry. In this regard, some political figures and websites have reported that Vaezi refers to Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, who, if introduced, will be the youngest minister in the government at the age of 36. Opponents of Jahromi claim that he was previously the director of wiretapping at the Ministry of Intelligence, but some of his supporters have stated that he left the Ministry of Intelligence in 2009. Hamid Reza Jalai Pour and Mohammad Ali Abtahi, both reformist figures, have also supported him. His defenders also claim that he has been involved in disputes with the judiciary regarding the filtering of social networks while serving as Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Mohammad Javad Zarif and Bijan Zangeneh are among the other ministers who will remain in their positions. Various reports have been published regarding the Ministry of Economy in recent days. Shahindokht Molaverdi, the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, has announced that she will not be present in this position in the next government. Additionally, while 175 members of Parliament have called for the appointment of a female minister in the new government, the latest news indicates that no woman will be introduced as a minister. Morteza Kazemian, referring to the news about the non-introduction of a female minister in Hassan Rouhani's new government, adds: 'This is a weakness and the first negative message from Rouhani to a very important section of his supporters, especially women. The continued presence of weak and problematic ministers such as the Minister of Interior and the Minister of Labor, or colleagues like Nahavandian and Nobakht, will seriously critique Rouhani. However, on another aspect, the removal of Pour Mohammadi is considered a positive event. Regardless of these, the reaction of the Hope faction to Rouhani's proposed ministers will be very important and meaningful, in terms of what kind of confrontation and strategy the reformist camp defines regarding Rouhani's second government.' Kazemian's comments regarding Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, the current Minister of Justice in Rouhani's government, were made in reference to Pour Mohammadi's announcement that he will not be present in the new government. Previously, several human rights organizations had requested in an open letter that Rouhani not introduce him as Minister of Justice due to his role in the execution of political prisoners in 1988. Now, according to some reports, Alireza Avaei is the main candidate for the Ministry of Justice. Some human rights activists have stated that he also played a role in the execution of political prisoners in Khuzestan province in 1988 while serving as the head of the judiciary in that province. Additionally, Majid Ansari, the legal deputy of the president, has also stated that he will not be in the next government.