The Deputy for Communications and Information of the President's Office denied the statements of a parliament representative regarding an 'implicit agreement' among the heads of the branches of government to change the structure of the government and separate some ministries. According to ISNA news agency, Parviz Esmaeili announced on Sunday, November 21, that 'no discussions regarding changes in the government structure were raised in the meeting of the heads of the branches, and the claims made in this regard are not true.' He emphasized that 'the follow-up related to the structure or internal issues of each of the branches has its own legal process and was certainly not the subject of the meeting of the heads of the branches.' On Saturday, after the meeting of the heads of the branches, Abdolreza Azizi, a representative from Shirvan in the Parliament, stated that the heads of the branches had reached an 'implicit agreement' for changes in the government structure. According to Mr. Azizi, the separation and changes in the ministries of roads and urban development, oil, energy, interior, industry, mining and trade, and sports and youth were among these agreements. Hassan Rouhani had promised during the presidential elections to reactivate the ministries of housing, commerce, and the National Youth Organization. According to the government's plan, the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development will be divided into two ministries: 'Road and Transportation' and 'Housing and Urban Development,' the Ministry of 'Industry, Mining and Trade' will be transformed into two ministries: 'Industry and Mining' and 'Commerce,' and the 'National Youth Organization' will be separated from the Ministry of 'Sports and Youth.' These ministries had been merged during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency. According to the Fifth Development Plan, the government was obligated to reduce the number of ministries from 21 to 17. However, Ahmadinejad's government's action to merge these ministries without parliamentary approval faced criticism. The Iranian cabinet currently consists of 18 ministries. During Mohammad Khatami's presidency, some parliament representatives also proposed plans to merge the ministries of energy and oil to form a Ministry of Energy, but these proposals did not come to fruition. In this regard, the government is presenting bills to the Parliament for the 'separation of three ministries.'
Statements by a Parliament Representative Regarding 'Implicit Agreement' on Government Restructuring Denied
The Deputy of the President's Office denied claims of an implicit agreement among government leaders to restructure ministries, countering statements made by a parliament representative. This denial highlights ongoing tensions regarding government structure and the legal processes involved in such changes.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Deputy of the President's Office denied claims made by a parliament representative about an implicit agreement to restructure the government and separate ministries. This denial underscores the complexities and tensions within the Iranian government regarding structural changes.
- Abdolreza Azizi claimed there was an implicit agreement on restructuring government ministries.
- Parviz Esmaeili refuted this claim, stating no such discussions occurred.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has a history of fluctuating government structures, with past administrations merging and separating ministries based on political agendas. The current discussions reflect a broader debate on governance efficiency.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%