The Parliament's Board Refuses to Announce the Receipt of the Impeachment Proposals for the Ministers of Economy and Sports

The President and Vice President of the Islamic Consultative Assembly stated that the Board of the Parliament will not announce the receipt of the impeachment proposals for two ministers of Hassan Rouhani's government. A number of Iranian parliamentarians have sought to impeach the Minister of Economy and Finance and the Minister of Sports and Youth. In this regard, Behrouz Namati, the representative of Asadabad in the Parliament, announced on Wednesday, August 28, that the impeachment proposal for Mahmoud Goudarzi, the Minister of Sports and Youth, has been signed by more than 45 representatives. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, Mr. Namati, in a procedural reminder to the Board of the Parliament during the session on Wednesday, stated that if about 10 representatives sign an impeachment proposal, the Board is obliged to announce its receipt. However, Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, responded that 'the Board can no longer announce the receipt of impeachment proposals but will refer them for review to the specialized committees of the Parliament.' Mohammad Namati, in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency, cited the reasons for the impeachment of the Minister of Sports and Youth as 'non-expert appointments and dismissals, lack of competence in selecting managers, lack of oversight on contracts and brokerage, neglect of public sports in the country, lack of supervision over the activities of foreign coaches, and interference in the appointments and dismissals of federations.' Meanwhile, Mohammad Hassan Abutorabifard, the Vice President of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, announced that based on the Board's resolution, a meeting was held on Wednesday between Ali Tayebnia, the Minister of Economy and Finance, and the proponents of his impeachment. According to Tasnim News Agency, Mr. Torabi-Fard, who was speaking with the official television of the Islamic Republic, emphasized that 'for now, the impeachment proposal for the Minister of Economy and Finance will not be announced until a satisfactory roadmap is obtained.' He stated, 'The proposal for this impeachment does not mean blaming the Minister of Economy and Finance; it is to convey the people's problems, and raising questions will clarify the issue.' Mr. Abutorabifard cited the representatives' insistence on impeaching Ali Tayebnia as due to 'the disruption of authorized and unauthorized financial and credit institutions in the country's economic system.' The Iranian Parliament has recently given Mr. Tayebnia a yellow card for the third time, which paves the way for his impeachment.