Pezeshkian calls for national consensus as parliament begins debating cabinet lineup

Iran’s Parliament has officially started reviewing the qualifications of proposed ministers in the new administration, with President Masoud Pezeshkian underscoring the importance of maintaining unity and cohesion among the three branches of government to resolve the country’s problems.

In an open session of the Parliament on Saturday, Pezeshkian threw his weight behind his 19 ministerial picks and called for amicable solutions to address the national and international challenges instead of resorting to harsh measures.

He highlighted the loyalty and faithfulness of the Iranian nation, stressing that honesty and transparency of the government would strengthen bonds between the two sides.

“The cabinet that was introduced to the parliament today is the government of national unity; the government of national unity is a government that considers itself the government of all Iranian people. The national unity government is obligated to secure the citizenship rights of all Iranians and is committed to the prioritization of national interests over any other interest,” Pezeshkian said.

Calling for joint and coordinated measures by the three branches of government to fulfill the people’s demands, the Iranian president said, “If the voices of the public are not heard in time, there will be growing frustration and disappointment, which would result in the loss of hope and the destruction of capitals.”

Pointing to various challenges facing the country, Pezeshkian said the Islamic Republic is suffering “imbalances” in the economic, societal, environmental, educational and cultural fields but, “Our people showed that they love their country, and if effective procedure is pursued to solve the problems, they will turn out with all their strength.”

The president underlined the significance of policy- and decision-making based on a scientific approach, as well as solving problems in light of collective wisdom instead of relying on personal opinions and tastes.

Pezeshkian also emphasized his resolve to fight against corruption and respect freedom of speech as well as criticism and national dialogue.

He termed US sanctions as the main threat to the Iranian nation and called for “togetherness” among the public to address the issue.

“Economy is the cornerstone of the country’s problems, but dissociating the economy from other areas and reducing it to conventional economic issues is a big mistake. Today, simultaneous reforms in international relations and internal reforms are the only way out of the current situation,” Pezeshkian said.

“This can only be achieved with an integrated view of domestic and foreign, economic and political issues and an integrated view and common understanding of the current issues in the country, which demands the cooperation and empathy of the three branches,” he added.

Pezeshkian will have two and half hours to defend his cabinet at Parliament and then, five opponents and five supporters of the proposed ministers will deliver a speech during the session.

He submitted the list of his new cabinet members to the Parliament on August 11, less than two weeks after he was sworn in before the country’s legislators. Abbas Araqchi and Abdolnaser Hemmati are the most well-known figures on his list.

Pezeshkian’s cabinet lineup has ruffled the feathers of a number of individuals in the Reformist camp but he has defended his proposed ministers and has called on critics to “wait for the cabinet to start work and criticize it based on its performance.”

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