Iran’ Parliament Rejects Third Nominee for Sports Ministry
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s parliament on Sunday convened an open session to vote on President Rouhani’s nominee for the ministry of sports and youth -- the third person to be introduced for the post – but the lawmakers made Rouhani search for a fourth person for the vacant position.
Third time unlucky.
On Sunday Iranian parliament did not give its vote of confidence to President Hassan Rouhani's choice for the ministry of sports and youth, Seyed Nasrollah Sajjadi, the third person he has suggested to the legislature since he was sworn in as president on August 4.
The lawmakesr voted 124 in favor, 107 against with 22 abstentions, from a total of 253 present in Sunday's open session of parliament.
Those voting against cited Sajjadi's old age and lack of comprehensive plans for the youth as reasons for voting so.
On October 27, the Iranian legislators started debating the qualifications of three ministerial nominees to lead ministries of Education, Sports and Youth as well as Sciences, Research, and Technology.
The lawmakers approved Reza Faraji Dana as the minister of sciences, research, and technology with 159 votes in favor, 70 against, and 32 abstentions from a total of 261 votes.
Furthermore, Ali Asghar Fani won the vote of confidence with 185 votes to 153 to become the country’s new education minister.
But President Rouhani’s nominee to head the ministry of sports and youth, namely Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, failed to receive a vote of confidence from parliament.
Salehi Amiri garnered 107 votes in favor, 141 against, and 13 abstentions.
Of the total of 18 nominees in the president’s proposed list in August, 15 were earlier approved by legislators. However, three others failed to garner enough votes.
Rouhani had unveiled the list of his proposed cabinet members during his swearing-in ceremony on August 4.
The first nominee for the sports ministry was Massoud Soltanifar, who failed to gain the confidence vote of lawmakers on August 15.
