Parliament Approves Rouhani's Cabinet Reshuffle

On Tuesday, November 1, Iran's parliament appointed three new ministers put forth by President Hassan Rouhani.

The Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani chaired the voting session. Mr. Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri was voted in as Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance. He was voted in 180 to 89, with six absentions. Mr. Fakhruddin Ahmadi Danesh-Ashtiani secured the position of Minister of Education, receiving 157 "yes" votes, with 111 parliamentarians voting against him. Six people also abstained from his vote. Mr. Massoud Soltanifar will serve as Minister of Sports and Youth, and was voted in 193 to 72, with nine abstentions. The election put an end to a series of debates in the run-up to the cabinet reshuffle, which followed criticisms from Rouhani that the previous ministers had bowed to pressure from outside the government. Anti-Rouhani politicians viewed the reshuffle as a cynical tactic ahead of next year's presidential election, which is scheduled for May.

Iranian Students News Agency