Transfer of Executive Power in Iran and an Opportunity for Change

Transfer of executive power in Iran and an opportunity for change

The medical government has officially started its work thanks to full coordination and mutual compliance with the demands of the top system officials by voting confidence in all proposed ministers.

Even the previous government and the desired president by the system in the year 2021, despite all the efforts made by the governing structure to elect him, and despite disqualifying and tarnishing the reputation of several of the most important and experienced figures in the Islamic Republic on the way to the presidency, did not achieve such success. He did not pass with a complete cabinet of confidence vote from the Islamic Consultative Assembly. The electoral confrontations and explicit positions of Masoud Pezeshkian against the specific ideas and thoughts of the governing structure and his resilience against forces and specific figures have been forgotten.

Doctors explicitly defended their cabinet as defense cabinets in the parliament, which is not only approved by the top of the system but practically determined and formed by the leadership’s opinion. Such statements from the head of state in the history of the Islamic Republic are unprecedented. It is natural that this approach will create a sense of alienation in a significant part of society. A caretaker president who not only does not have the authority to appoint his ministers but apparently does not want this authority, there are many opportunities for doctors and his executive team to gain the trust of the people. However, we Iranians are accustomed to losing such opportunities by elected governments. A simple step towards change and gaining trust can be taken at the beginning by avoiding crude imitation and hasty adoption of trends and approaches in other countries, which has never been beneficial, and at the same time, using the experiences of people-friendly governments is always valuable.

The transfer of executive power in different countries, in some cases, takes place in a people-friendly approach and based on transparency. One of the best examples is the British political system. Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of Britain, exactly took steps on Downing Street on the days of the doctors’ election.

According to the traditional and common practice, it is now completely normal for the new British ministers to present a transparent narrative and image of the country’s situation, and report to the people some of the existing issues and problems that have received less attention.

For example, Britain was facing a crisis of overcrowded prisons and full capacity.

Presenting a transparent image in this area led to better follow-up on changes in prisons and creating space for newly convicted individuals after extremist racist riots and the arrest of a group of rioters.

Another example, perhaps the most important of all, was a transparent narrative of the country’s financial situation and budget, which by showing real and tangible deficiencies reduced expectations from the government for new investments and the granting of new incentives and credits.

It is natural that the first reaction of opponents is to accuse the new government of scapegoating and making excuses for inefficiencies and future problems. The point here is that people see the problems and expect clarity and transparency from the government and politicians.

If the new government is concerned about the narrative of the situation it has inherited and focuses on drowning out its own voice, it will have no basis and foundations for achieving future accomplishments. The government of physicians must start by providing a transparent picture of the current state of the country.

The caliber of the ministers in this cabinet, which may not be entirely in line with his desires, is evident at this juncture with the same narrative and clear reports.

Perhaps the physicians themselves may be the first ones to assess their ministers by narrating the situation of their ministry and the scope under their management, to see if these are their government ministers or ministers of others.