Iran Parliament Starts Vetting Nominees for Vacant Cabinet Posts

Intensive talks are underway in the parliament about the credentials and backgrounds of Reza Ardakanian and Mansour Gholami, who have nominated for the positions of the minister of science, research and technology and the energy minister respectively.

In a letter to Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani last week, Rouhani proposed submitted the names of the nominees for the two remaining cabinet posts to the parliament.

On August 20, all the ministerial nominees, except the one for the Energy Ministry, managed to win the vote of confidence from the parliament.

Habibollah Bitaraf failed to win a vote of confidence after 133 lawmakers from a total of 288 opposed him.

The position of minister of sciences, research, and technology has also been vacant.

President Rouhani had submitted the list of his ministers to the parliament on August 8, four days after his swearing-in ceremony.