Reformists’ concerns about the introduction of the cabinet
Reformists’ concerns about the introduction of the cabinet have brought the issue of inquiries into focus.
It is not clear whether the inquiries are conducted to confirm the qualifications and health of individuals or if they are being used as a lever for pressure.
This issue will naturally become clear. The issue of national consensus is also very important and is being raised these days by both medical supporters and critics.
Critics seem more inclined to believe that they are trying to create pressure using this lever to impose certain options on the government.
But some believe that the national consensus discussion will not be achieved solely by using former ministers and it should not be forgotten that 50% of the society did not participate in the previous elections and their voices should be heard.
It remains to be seen what list will ultimately be sent to the parliament and how the parliament will act on it.
Zarif’s latest report
Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Strategic Deputy of the President, published the latest report on the status of the proposed ministers on his Twitter page. Zarif wrote that Thursday was a heavy and challenging day.
During separate meetings from 8 am to 11 pm, Tehran headquarters managers and members of the Health, Oil, and Foreign Policy committees expressed their views and expectations candidly and sincerely.
In a 200-minute session of the Steering Council, I presented reports of these meetings and also discussions with members of the Environment, Women, Welfare, Youth committees, as well as information from other elites and civil society activists.
Zarif continued, and the Steering Council members also heard the report from the esteemed Chief of Staff of the President on the interviews conducted by honorable doctors with some candidates, indicating that certainty is not definite for any of them, and in some cases, interviews have been conducted with multiple individuals for a position. They also heard the latest status of the options for joining the government cabinet and expressed their views to be conveyed to the honorable President.
Furthermore, concerns regarding some rumors were expressed by the esteemed members of the Steering Council. It is necessary to appreciate the attention and sensitivity of the dear people towards the process and outcomes of determining the government cabinet members.
This is a new experience of transparency and democracy in the complex and challenging path of selecting ministers.
The Vice President emphasized that undoubtedly every new experience comes with many flaws and challenges, the most important of which are resistance to change, disbelief in innovation, and entrusting work to the youth.
Fortunately, the honorable President, with courage and belief in change, innovation, and the youth, has taken the first step on this difficult and eventful path, deserving appreciation and gratitude.
Presidential Strategy
National unity plays a key role in the President’s discourse. In his latest public speech at an intimate meeting with the media, he emphasized the issue of national unity several times. He stated that he intends to form a national unity government and will also utilize the expertise of officials from previous governments.
This strategy has been well received, but there is only one concern about it.
Some analysts express concern that in the clause of utilizing managers from previous governments, whether specialized personnel will be employed, as entrusting work to experts is another strategy of the President.
Another part of the concerns arises from whether the individuals introduced for the cabinet are in line with the President’s vision or not.
Warnings and Recommendations
Some political activists have reacted to the repetition of the names of some ministers of the thirteenth government regarding external pressures to form the cabinet and the issue of national reconciliation.
Some of these reactions were related to the reintroduction of Seyed Asadollah Khatib as the Minister of Information, as well as rumors about the continuity of the Minister of Education and the re-nomination of Reza Moradi Sahraei to the parliament.
Rasoul Montajabnia, a reformist political activist, said Mr. Pishkani has received votes from the people and the people are waiting for changes in the government, so faces need to change, and people should see new individuals and culture.
Mohammad Mehdi Mojahedi, a member of the research faculty at the Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, wrote on Twitter that cabinets composed of conflicting perceptions about public goods, governance methods, the current situation in Iran and the world, and small and large policies, are a misinterpretation and dangerous deviation from the dream of national reconciliation.
A sincere interpretation of this dream is in forming a cabinet of believers in political pluralism, not representatives of conflicting interests and interest conflicts.
Mohammad Fazeli warned about sensitivities regarding the selection of ministers and wrote that the cabinet selection is backstage, mostly influenced by lobbying and pressure.
There is a backstage where it cannot be said we chose this because someone lobbied for it.
It should be noted that we chose to move forward on this stage because of your understanding, previous capabilities, social capital potential, program, and vision. Hold onto the stage firmly.
Azar Mansouri, the head of the Iran Reform Front, reminded us of the demands of the voters. The people of Iran have learned to be demanding after several elections and to safeguard the vote they have cast.
The Iran Reform Front also knows, after gaining repeated experiences, that neglecting the rights of the people and the demands of all Iranian citizens means losing its most important power center.
Serious concerns about the cabinet composition.
Hossein Noranian, a reformist political activist, describes concerns about the sidelining of reformist and moderate options due to certain inquiries very seriously.
He emphasized not to forget that the reason for the significant decrease in participation in recent election cycles was the voters’ disillusionment with the realization of their opinions.
However, in these elections, great efforts were made to revive the hopes of the people once again.
If the conservative movement is to use all the tools at its disposal to once again obstruct the minimum demands of the majority against the wall, it must also accept the consequences.
He believes that if the government fails, especially if this failure is due to the hidden obstacles of the government, without a doubt, a significant portion of the votes given to the doctors will shift towards a 50% sanction in the recent elections. Existing dissatisfaction will turn into widespread protests, and it will face very difficult conditions in numerous crises arising from various failures, sanctions, and internal and external threats.
He refers to the participation of only 40% of the society in the first round of the presidential elections. This number forcibly reached the threshold of 50% with the negative votes added in fear of this same hidden government in the first stage.
The covert government, which has a long hand in security issues, surely knows what impact these issues have on security, national interests, and even their own fate.
According to this political activist, national reconciliation means accepting differences and resolving them through fair and just governance by democratic methods. Reconciliation means majority rule while preserving the rights of the minority.
Reconciliation means respecting each other’s conditions, situations, and emotions, relying on common values. The majority of the people clearly showed with the votes they cast and the votes they did not cast what proportion they have with the noble approach as the successor to the late President.
It is the same current that we know is only partially deprived of their power by the people’s vote, otherwise, in most appointed positions, power remains in their hands. It is interesting that despite all the rent-seeking, when supervisory and approval bodies like the government gain the majority’s approval, they do not allow anyone outside their closed circle to pave the way to the government.
Now, the expectation of such a thing from the government by physicians is truly astonishing.
He emphasizes that if the participation of one or two individuals from this faction leads to cooperation and support in fulfilling a significant portion of the nation’s rights, it is a considerable step forward to consider.
Nooraninejad believes that this issue is not achievable with general or fantasy thinking but physicians should be able to determine specific goals that cannot be achieved without the cooperation of a powerful minority and engage in dialogue and negotiation on these goals.
Otherwise, to think that by giving them such privileges, they will be ashamed of the usual obstacles seems unrealistic to me.
He also talks about the possible composition of the cabinet, and the reality is that few expect a predominantly reformist cabinet.
Neither the political background nor the taste of Dr. Physicians is compatible with such an expectation, nor were such promises made, nor did the majority of voters have such an expectation, but continuing the past trend with minimal tangible changes is not acceptable.
For example, in ministries that have a stronger intellectual, political, and social nature, such as the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Guidance, the Ministry of Education, and even the Ministry of Intelligence, an expectation of tangible change is expected.
Meaning that if no change in line with the people’s vote is made in these ministries, a very negative message will be sent, and physicians will inevitably face tough questions from voters and their supporters.
This political activist emphasizes that ultimately a vote was cast for change, otherwise, assuming the continuation of previous approaches with minimal insignificant changes, the same conservative trend will remain with its own name and characteristics, which is better.
Unfortunately, some news, information, and rumors these days regarding this issue are concerning, which, of course, is mainly due to speculations and these should be clarified.
He suggests to the president that after all the twists and turns in selecting the cabinet through various committees and the elected Steering Council, the selected individuals of this council should be introduced to the public by the president himself, and it should be made clear that the cabinets finally introduced are the nth individuals on the list of the Steering Council in ministries and presidential deputies.
He states that the political scene should be more transparent than it is now. He says that even the doctors who have promised honesty and transparency to the people should start this from the very stage of introducing the cabinet.
Certainly, such an approach will prevent many obstacles and make the real impact of the people’s votes clear and make expectations reasonable.
It also sheds light on the dark corners of individuals, institutions, and influential currents on the fate of the people.
If it is a period of justice and righteousness, it is the people’s right to know the current realities in governance that affect their fate.
Inquiry for ministers is not mandatory.
Ali Baqeri, another reformist political activist, but the issue of inquiring for the cabinet and the concerns of reformists and moderates in this regard are being examined from a legal perspective.
He emphasizes that the President is not obligated to seek approval from security institutions in appointing ministers, and this is considered an exception specified in the law on the appointment of individuals to sensitive positions approved in November 2022. Clause 5 of this law has stipulated that seeking approval and appointment regarding institutions directly under the Supreme Leader’s authority, such as armed forces appointed directly by the Supreme Leader, and appointing officials specified with special protocols in the constitution, and employees of the judiciary, including judges and staff whose qualifications are verified and enforced by the relevant intelligence protection, will be subject to the decision of the appointing authority.
He adds that from this clause, it can be inferred that since Article 133 of the Constitution defines the mechanism for appointing ministers and emphasizes that ministers are proposed by the President and must receive a vote of confidence from the parliament, therefore, seeking approval for ministers is not mandatory.
Even the President can introduce his proposed individual to the parliament if the approval is sought and the result is negative. However, this matter can create difficulties in obtaining a vote of confidence.
According to this political activist, if doctors understand that their choice aligns with the country’s interests, they can introduce a person to the parliament and the parliament will vote either positively or negatively on the matter, which ultimately will be judged by the people.
Baqueri states that doctors base their work on advancing activities based on agreements with the parliament and the country’s authorities and institutions. I hope that he can ultimately present a satisfactory combination in the cabinet by gathering all sides of the story.
He talks about the retention of some ministers in the fourteenth government who have proven their efficiency to the nation once in the past three years and mentions the proportion of such appointments with the national unity government. Forming a national government has requirements, meaning you cannot call a government a national unity government, but in selecting this cabinet, do not ignore the colonies and populous communities within the country. Of course, the president has the right to only introduce individuals to the cabinet who are politically aligned with him, but such cabinets are not called national cabinets.
In the national cabinet, individuals who belong to political and ideological camps other than the victorious election camp and the elected president should be utilized. Therefore, I believe that not only is the use of different ideologies legitimate for realizing the concept of a national cabinet, but it is also necessary.
He further emphasizes the rational conditions for selecting a national unity cabinet. In fact, there should be individuals from political rival camps in the cabinet who are efficient and do not disrupt the overall government operations.
It seems that evaluating the performance of options that were in previous governments did not yield positive results.
Therefore, we should not choose such individuals just because they belong to the opposing faction and we want to form a national unity cabinet, as we are responsible for the people and the country’s situation.
This political activist argues that we should not allow an incompetent person from our own or other faction to enter the cabinet, in addition to other rational conditions for cabinet selection. Individuals who enter the cabinet from the opposing faction should not only be efficient in their respective ministry but also have general alignment with the executive views and programs of the elected president and not be in conflict with them.
In my opinion, implementing these two conditions as preconditions for forming the national unity government is crucial, as mentioned by the physicians during the elections.
Baqueri also talks about the significance of the silent 50% and the need to consider them in the national unity government. We also have a 50% portion in society who did not participate in the elections, the same group that Mr. physicians stated they want their voices to be heard. Surely, a complete national unity government is a government where, in addition to individuals from the political rivals of the president, representatives of that 50% who did not show up at the ballot boxes are also present in its cabinets. However, it should be noted that the path towards the formation of a national unity government is a gradual process.
He believes that at the outset, it is not possible to form a complete national unity cabinet where both the 50% and the 20% rivals of the winning president are present. Therefore, the first step will be taken by the presence of election rivals, and God willing, in the following steps, we will move towards establishing a complete and genuine national unity government. This political activist also expresses hope that the physicians can introduce cabinets that have both the elements of a national unity cabinet and are capable and based on the thoughts and grand plans of the president.
Consultation with the parliament before introducing the cabinet
Ahmad Bakhshaesh Ardestani, the representative of Ardestan in the parliament, has a different view on the issue of selecting the cabinet of the fourteenth term. He mentions from the Expediency Discernment Council as Mr. Zarif’s council. Bakhshaeshi says, ‘Mr. Pezeshkian is an interesting personality, he is both honest and transparent. They often quote Imam Ali’s saying that anyone who is dictatorial in voting will perish.’
Currently, the Expediency Discernment Council or Mr. Zarif’s council plays a significant role in introducing cabinet members in this matter. From what I have heard, in this council, they would give scores and ratings to individuals who had a hand in the fire themselves. For example, those who import livestock feed would naturally introduce a minister who would be their future minister.
I have heard about this issue regarding all the mentioned members for the cabinet.
He refers to the fact that ministers are a joint product of the President and the Parliament, meaning that the Prime Minister introduces the ministers, and the Parliament gives a vote of confidence. One way to follow this path is what Pezeshkian is doing, and another way is that consultations between the parliament and the President take place before the introduction.
I have met with the president three times, but they usually remained silent about the cabinet. They only mentioned one or two names that were more from the council of advisors. It would be very interesting if they introduced the cabinet to the parliament and let the parliament scrutinize the cabinet, as the saying goes.
It is better for consultations to take place before the introduction.
This parliament representative emphasizes that the president is under pressure and constraints from the council of advisors. Eventually, they get involved in the work and may delegate the task to the council of advisors.
I wish the council would invite some of the parliament representatives so that their opinions are also heard. It has always been like this, for example, Zarif sends Iraqchi in his place, or introduces another person as the Minister of Education.
Doctors are not separate from other presidents. Usually, people consider victory as their own achievement and interpret defeat as a result of various other factors.
Referring to the deputy parliamentary leader of the president who introduces the cabinet of ministers and continues the work with their approval, I don’t think there is a need to raise this point.
Finally, the leadership has stated that we should help the president and he should also pay attention to the sensitivities of the parliament. There is no need to mention names repeatedly. Inquiries are natural when someone wants to hold a position like a minister, they must be approved by supervisory and security institutions.
In any case, the president is free to introduce his preferred individuals, but the steering council may want to introduce sharp individuals who will be rejected, and then let the next individuals introduce themselves.
Obtaining inquiries from responsible institutions and receiving negative feedback does not mean pressuring the president.
Pressure is when the supervisory institution has a negative opinion about the individual(s), but there is pressure to employ them and say that this issue is not a problem.
Bahshayesh Ardestani mentioned that he still does not know about the final composition of the proposed ministers, but doctors have said they want his cabinet to be a national reconciliation cabinet.
It is possible for ministers from the previous government to also be in the cabinet, who were strong and good ministers or are capable managers. I heard the president say he wanted to nominate Amir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi for the Ministry of Health, but his friends did not accept.
We asked why you wanted to choose him. They said Mr. Ghazizadeh Hashemi is strong in terms of knowledge, but Mr. Zarif’s council friends also said, ‘No, we also want the medical cabinet to be successful.’
Because a successful cabinet will lead to the pride of the Islamic Revolution, and an unsuccessful cabinet will bring down the tent and flag of the revolution.
The type of affection that the leadership had for Mr. Pishakian compared to other presidents may be less seen. Perhaps this is because the leadership does not want the distances that occurred in the past between the leadership position and the Khattami and Rouhani administrations to reappear.
This representative of the parliament states that even though we were the independent religious faction and our opinion was that some members of the parliament should also be involved in this process, they did not accept our proposal.
To express an opinion about the composition of the cabinet, we need to see if they have the criteria that the leadership and the parliament have in mind. We need to see if the proposed individuals are truly themselves or if they are supposed to represent others.
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