Iran’s parliament gives green light to Rouhani’s new ministers
Iranian media diversely reacted to parliament’s confirming of the new ministers of education, youth affairs and sports, as well as culture and Islamic guidance.
The Iranian parliament’s vote of confidence to the three new ministers in President Hassan Rouhani’s Cabinet dominated the front pages of newspapers in Iran on Nov. 2. Conservative outlets downplayed the confirmation of the Cabinet reshuffle, while Reformist media hailed it as a victory.
Reza Salehi Amiri, Saeed Soltanifar and Fakhreddin Ahmadi Danesh Ashtiani won votes of confidence to take over the ministries of culture and Islamic guidance, youth affairs and sports, and education, respectively, only seven months before Iran’s next presidential election.
Observers believe that the votes were a direct outcome of the parliamentary elections in February when Rouhani’s allies won a majority of the seats.
The Reformist daily Shargh praised Iranian lawmakers’ support for the president. “The first vote of confidence in [the 10th] parliament was clearly different from the previous ones,” Shargh reported. The daily compared the vote with other voting sessions in parliament and stressed, “[This time] there was no room for the endless accusations against the government and smears to undermine its ministers.”
