Iran’s parliament set to approve president’s nominees

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Nov. 06 – Iran’s Majlis (Parliament) is set
to approve Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s four nominees for the remaining ministerial portfolios, the deputy Majlis Speaker told reporters on Sunday. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Nov. 06 – Iran’s Majlis (Parliament) is set to approve Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s four nominees for the remaining ministerial portfolios, the deputy Majlis Speaker told reporters on Sunday.

Mohammad-Reza Bahonar, a staunch ultra-conservative ally of the Iranian President, said, “The overall atmosphere of the fundamentalists was to give the vote of confidence to all the prospective minister”.

“In line with national interest, the majority faction in the Majlis has decided to give the vote of confidence to Ahmadinejad’s proposed ministers”, Bahonar said.

Bahonar wields considerable influence as a key power-broker in the new hard-line government. Many of Ahmadinejad’s political appointees as ministers, governors, and senior administrators are Bahonar’s protégés.

The Majlis is set to vote on the minister-designates on Wednesday.

There has been growing furore over the nominations among the minority camp with several deputies questioning their experiences, claiming that the candidates were chosen because of their ideological connection and loyalty to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran’s Oil Minister-designate Seyyed Sadegh Mahsouli, a veteran brigadier general in the Revolutionary Guards, is a long-time colleague of the Iranian President and has no experience in the oil sector.