Reactions to the Introduction of Proposed Ministers by Pezeshkian: The Cabinet Has 'Fundamental Bugs'; 'Thieves' and 'Misogynists' Are Present

The introduction of the proposed cabinet of the fourteenth government to the Islamic Consultative Assembly has sparked various reactions among social media users; some have accused the reformist faction of the Islamic Republic of 'betrayal and charlatanism,' while others who supported Pezeshkian in the 'government election' have stated that the cabinet has 'fundamental bugs.' Many users believe that most of the introduced ministers, including some figures from Raisi's government, contradict Pezeshkian's campaign slogans and align with the wishes of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Amirhossein Mirasmaili, a journalist, pointed out on social media X that 'the appointment of the brother of the head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization as Minister of Education, the suppressor of the 1996 protests as Minister of Interior, or a security thief and misogynist as Minister of Sports is not surprising' but 'it is surprising that anyone would be shocked by this cabinet' since 'Pezeshkian has repeatedly stated that he is obedient to the Leader.' The account 'Historical Memory,' which documents the statements of Islamic Republic officials and the behavioral contradictions of its agents on social media, published remarks by Iskandar Moameni, the then-deputy head of police and proposed Minister of Interior by Pezeshkian, who stated on April 19, 2018, 'The police's duty regarding hijab enforcement is to take action. We will not back down.' Maryam Shakirani, a journalist in Iran, analyzed the members of Pezeshkian's proposed cabinet in a series of posts on X, noting that 'Gholamreza Noori Ghazaljeh, the proposed Minister of Agriculture, shows that Pezeshkian, like Raisi, preferred to introduce a representative from his own province as a minister. However, the fate of Sadeghnejad, Raisi's minister, became entangled with a corruption case involving luxury tea.' Shakirani also emphasized that 'Esmaeil Khatib, the proposed Minister of Intelligence, is a hardliner' who was also 'the Minister of Intelligence under Ibrahim Raisi' and 'one of the pioneers in establishing the IRGC Intelligence Organization.' Najat Bahrami, a political analyst, described Alireza Kazemi, proposed as Minister of Education, as 'from the band of Mashhadi managers' and 'a very weak individual' affiliated with the so-called principlist faction of the Islamic Republic, who has 'always been supported by his influential brother Mohammad Kazemi, who is now the head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization.' Ahmad Zeidabadi, a journalist in Iran who supported Pezeshkian's succession to Ibrahim Raisi, noted on Sunday, August 12, in an article titled 'Pezeshkian's Cabinet and Its Bugs' that the composition of the ministers introduced to the Islamic Consultative Assembly contains 'three fundamental bugs' and contradicts the 'goals' that the fourteenth president of the Islamic Republic had announced. Zeidabadi, who spoke before the 'election' that opponents termed a 'circus and show' and in which the majority of the people did not participate, also stated that if Pezeshkian 'really thinks he can work with some of these individuals, there is no reason for us to be hotter than the soup' and 'on the other hand, people do not get too involved in the choice of the president's colleagues.' In contrast, Amirhadi Anvari, another journalist in Iran, emphasized that 'there were few individuals who really thought Pezeshkian might alleviate some of the suffering they endure,' noting the efforts of the so-called reformist faction of the Islamic Republic, stating that they were 'not desperate' and, through 'creating hashtags' and 'scaring people with the boogeyman of Jalili and the shadow of war,' after the events of 2019 and 2021, drew some citizens 'to the ballot box to buy legitimacy for the Islamic Republic,' which, of course, 'was not successful.' Anvari criticized those who encouraged people to vote by supporting Pezeshkian before the 'government voting' and now say 'this is not real reform' after they 'have taken their share,' accusing them of 'charlatanism, betrayal, and fraud,' adding: 'They must take responsibility for what they have done.' Masoud Pezeshkian announced his list of proposed ministers to the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Sunday, August 12. Key points of the proposed list include the retention of the Minister of Intelligence from Ibrahim Raisi's government, the proposal of a woman for the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, the introduction of Hemmati for the Ministry of Economy, and the selection of a military figure for the Ministry of Interior. According to Pezeshkian's letter to the Assembly, Alireza Kazemi is proposed as Minister of Education, Setareh Hashemi for the Ministry of Communications, Esmaeil Khatib for the Ministry of Intelligence, Abdolnasser Hemmati for the Ministry of Economy, Abbas Araqchi for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammadreza Zafarghandi for the Ministry of Health, Ahmad Meydari for the Ministry of Labor, Gholamreza Noori for the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, Amin Hossein Rahimi for the Ministry of Justice, Aziz Nasirzadeh for the Ministry of Defense, Farzaneh Sadegh for the Ministry of Roads, Mohammad Atabak for the Ministry of Industry, Science, and Technology, Hossein Simayi for the Ministry of Science, Abbas Salehi for the Ministry of Culture, Iskandar Moameni as the proposed Minister of Interior, Reza Salehi Amiri as the proposed Minister of Cultural Heritage, Mohsen Paknejad for the Ministry of Oil, Abbas Ali Abadi as the proposed Minister of Energy, and Ahmad Danyamali as the proposed Minister of Sports. According to the announcement of the parliamentary board, the review and vote of confidence for the proposed candidates will begin next Saturday. Previously, Saeed Dehghan, a lawyer and legal expert, emphasized in an interview with Voice of America that Masoud Pezeshkian is without will and authority, and voters made a mistake in supporting him.