The Questioning of President Rouhani by Parliament Representatives Has Been Officially Announced

Following the escalation of the government's economic problems and the resulting livelihood issues for the people, the proposal for questioning President Rouhani by members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly was officially recognized on Wednesday, August 10. According to Ali Larijani, the Speaker of Parliament, with the announcement of this proposal, President Hassan Rouhani is now "obliged to appear in Parliament within a maximum of one month and answer the raised questions." The representatives' questions to the President of the Islamic Republic mainly relate to the country's economic issues, which Mr. Larijani summarized in the form of "five axes." These five axes include the prices of goods and currency in recent months, as well as banking sanctions and the depreciation of Iran's national currency. In recent months, especially the past month, rapid and unexpected developments have occurred in Iran's currency and gold markets, culminating in the price of each US dollar reaching 12,000 tomans for the first time in history. The severe fluctuations in Iran's currency market intensified particularly after the US withdrawal from the JCPOA. The increase in currency prices continued alongside escalating verbal attacks from US officials and the Islamic Republic. Reports of a "security atmosphere" in currency selling areas in Tehran also emerged on Tuesday this week. Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani and his cabinet are making significant efforts to stabilize the situation and gain control over economic issues. In this regard, the Central Bank issued a statement on Sunday attributing the historic increase in the dollar rate and the surge in the gold market "mainly" to "enemies," stating that these developments "do not correspond to the economic realities of Iran." This statement was issued on the same day that the judiciary announced the arrest of "29 economic disruptors." However, it seems that dozens of representatives who insist on questioning the President hold him responsible for these disarrayed conditions, which is evident in the formulation of the questioned axes. The questioned axes in Parliament include the "government's failure to control the prices of goods and currency" and the "government's inadequate action regarding the reduction of unemployment rates." Ahmad Amirabadi, a member of the Parliament's presiding board, stated that "the President has one month to appear in Parliament and answer the questions." According to Mr. Amirabadi, if the representatives are not satisfied, this matter could also be referred to the judiciary: "The judiciary must also address the President's performance in enforcing the law." Following the adverse developments in Iran's market and economy, discussions have emerged regarding a "cabinet reshuffle" in Rouhani's government, with a cleric and several principlist representatives urging Rouhani to change his economic team. In this context, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht announced on Tuesday night that Rouhani has agreed to his resignation from the position of government spokesman, and he will now serve as the head of the Planning and Budget Organization. The day before, Abolfazl Soroush, a representative from Tehran and a member of the Hope faction, also told ISNA that 200 representatives had signed a letter to Rouhani requesting a change in the government's economic team. This representative stated: "If these three or four economic managers of the government are not changed with the agreement of Parliament and the government, we will be forced to remove these individuals through impeachment."