Pressure from Representatives on the Government for Appointments

Pressure from Representatives on the Government for Appointments

Pressure from representatives on the government for appointments. National unity was the government’s slogan, and cooperation between the parliament and the government was an issue some representatives loudly proclaimed after granting confidence votes to the proposed ministers. This confidence vote, based on our historical experience in periods of governments and parliaments not aligned, wasn’t unprecedented, with a notable example being the fifth parliament under the presidency of Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri and the reformist government under President Mohammad Khatami.

However, now, although only two months have passed since the government’s establishment, it seems that relations are starting to sour. An example is the statements made in recent days with intensity against the government, which are more of political venting than constructive criticism.

Let’s not forget that this very parliament recently confirmed this lack of alignment and potential non-cooperation by rejecting the resignation of Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh.

This happened in a situation where appointing Hosseinzadeh as the Vice President was a major effort by the government to create national unity and reduce dissatisfaction among Iran’s Sunni citizens in the civic domain, fulfilling an electoral promise by Masoud Pezeshkian. Although representatives presented reasons, these were not widely accepted in subsequent reactions by various figures, and rarely in the past has the parliament blocked a representative’s activity in another role by not accepting their resignation.

Examples include Alireza Zakani’s resignation to assume the mayor’s position, despite many criticisms and objections about the illegality of his appointment, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi’s resignation to assume the presidency of the Martyrs Foundation in the eleventh parliament, Kazem Jalali’s resignation to become Iran’s ambassador to Russia in the tenth parliament, Dariush Esmaeili’s resignation to become the deputy minister of industry in the ninth parliament, Mehdi Sanaei’s resignation to become Iran’s ambassador to Russia in the eighth parliament, Seyed Mohammad Reza Mirtajaldini’s resignation to become the parliamentary deputy in the eighth parliament, and Seyed Ahmad Mousavi’s resignation to become the legal and parliamentary affairs deputy in the seventh parliament, all of which were agreed upon by the parliament, resulting in no obstruction for the government at least at the start.

Of course, the parliament’s lack of cooperation with the government isn’t limited to this issue. Recently, statements have been made about parliamentary interference in government appointments, especially in the selection of governors. For instance, Azar Mansouri, head of the Reform Front, mentioned in an interview that the pressure exerted by some lawmakers on the fourteenth government in new appointments, especially in governorships, is against the principles of the constitution and the rules of separation of powers, and whatever this behavior is called, it’s not unity. It’s the new government’s legal right to employ managers compatible with its discourse.

Furthermore, rumors around this issue have caused concern among others. Reformist political activist Hassan Rasouli has said about the possibility that any demand for a share from representatives based on which the executive branch must choose governors and managers according to their wishes is contrary to Article 57 of the constitution.

The government must prevent these interventions with a firm approach based on legal principles and emphasize the independence of powers. If a representative expects the district governor to be appointed according to their wishes, they must be ready to participate effectively in legal processes.

This smart and differentiated approach can help create coordination between the three branches at various levels of national divisions.

In my opinion, any interference that undermines this logical process will lead to chaos and disruption in the country’s governance system.

Interference by representatives in the appointment of governors and the activities of the executive branch is not a new story for this government and parliament. The Javan newspaper addressed this issue in September 2020, stating at the beginning of its article that lawmakers’ involvement in executive work is dangerous.

This is a warning from the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khamenei, to the parliament members.

However, now whispers, tweets, and behind-the-scenes discussions are sometimes heard, indicating indirect pressure and interference by some representatives on the government for dismissals and appointments in the new government. Some representatives, however, are less attentive to the leader’s warnings and recommendations and are taking a different path.

This issue is more prominent in the matter of governors and the Ministry of Interior, and the leadership, with experience, knew this, specifically mentioning these positions in their speech.

Now it seems once again that such interferences have emerged, causing concern among some figures who are somewhat aware of the government’s activities. It appears that what is happening goes beyond mere opinions and advice from representatives and provincial assemblies to assist the government in appointing suitable candidates, as some have mentioned.

The separation of powers and the interaction between the government and parliament are two issues that representatives and government officials must pay close attention to.

According to our constitution and based on the same principle of republicanism, which symbolizes the desire for democracy in the political space, none of the branches should have influence and authority over the others, and practically, turning provincial assemblies into a pressure tool on government officials in determining individuals for various positions is a problem that it seems all governments have to grapple with.

Therefore, in performing legal duties, it is expected that the various branches take steps in preserving the separation of powers and strive to strengthen it.