Iranian MP Ali Motahari criticized the general resistance to President Rohani’s choices for science minister, saying Parliament cannot dictate the appointment of ministers.
In an interview with the Etemad daily on Sunday November 16, Motahari said parliamentarians today want to choose the minister of science, even though the legal procedure is that the administration proposes the candidate and Parliament can accept or decline.”
He added that those who want to stray from the accepted procedure are under the impression that “Saeed Jalili won the 2013 presidential election.” Saeed Jaiili was the candidate for the extreme right in the last election campaign.
Motahari stated that “a fear of opening the atmosphere of universities and making it free of security-laden reactions” is the main fear of the MPs that are voting against the ministers proposed by Rohani.
Despite resistance from many parliamentarians to Fakhreddin Ahmadi Danesh Ashtiani, the Rohani administration’s fourth recommendation for the position of science minister, the administration has announced that it will not change its candidate and will go for a vote in Parliament.
The administration has announced that Mr. Danesh Ashtiani will defend his candidacy for the post of science minister in Parliament on Tuesday November 18.
The opponents of Danesh Ashtiani accuse him of supporting “seditious movements” and being against Basijis in universities. The Basij organization is a civilian volunteer group that enforces the most right-wing policies of the Islamic Republic establishment in exchange for various forms of government-supported benefits including quotas for university spots.
Parliament has so far voted against three of President Rohani’s proposed science ministers.
