STRUGGLE OF POWERS CONTINUES IN IRAN
Efforts of Ahmadinejad and his company
to make the executive body more efficient than the other
state powers continue to receive reactions from the Majlis
which is the legislative body. Moreover, available
information indicates that deputies have the intention to
take serious measures in order to make the power of the
legislative body felt. Under the Iranian laws, if the Majlis
takes a decision to launch investigations about and dismiss
seven individuals from among the members of the board of
ministers, the said ministers have the right to recourse to
the president about their incompetence in fulfilling their
tasks. On the other hand, should it be found that the
president had played a role in the appointment and
incompetence of the identified seven individuals; the Majlis
has the right to discharge the president.
The members of parliament, who took
action in this respect, have reportedly decided to initiate
parliamentary investigations against Communication and
Information Technologies Minister Reza Taqipour, Oil
Minister Masoud Mir Kazemi, and Foreign Minister Manoucher
Muttaki for “delinquency”. It is also expected that
parliamentary investigations will be launched against
Economic Affairs and Finance Minister Seyyed Shamsaddin
Hossayni, Agriculture Minister Sadegh Khalilian and Interior
Minister Mostapha Mohammad Najjar, as well. As it is known,
in summer, it was decided to submit impeachment motions
against Mohammed Najjar for “creating unrest in the boards
and councils within the ministry and disregarding the
competency criteria in the appointment of the administrators”
and against Sadegh Khalilian for “realizing excessive
imports of agricultural products and aggrieving local
farmers”.
However, the said motion was not
submitted to the majlis presidency council in order not to
get in a hurry and to observe the ministers for a further
period of time. Experts, assessing the developments, express
that it is the most appropriate time for the Majlis to make
an attempt to apply pressure on the government. It is
reported that the increased complaints of the Iranian people
against the government have also caused the Majlis to take
action.
Mohammad Jafar Montazari, Head of the
Iranian Administrative Court of Justice, said that the
complaints about the government and its subordinates have
increased by 100 % in the first three months of Iran’s
current year compared to the same period of the previous
year. Montazeri, who made a statement in regard to the issue,
stressed that this increase, which was extremely high, had
to be considered as a “red alarm” by all the executive
officials including the president and the ministers.
Montazeri also stated that the work of the Administrative
Court of Justice had been delayed due to various
interruptions by the government bodies. Observers agree that
the Majlis will inevitably try to dismiss Ahmadinejad should
the political and economic problems continue and the gap
between the powers keep widening. Additionally, Khamanei is
expected to approve such an attempt with a view to maintain
his own legitimacy.
