Raeisi outlines plans as Parliament debates cabinet lineup
Raeisi attended an open session of Parliament on Saturday morning along with First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, chief of staff Gholamhossein Esmaeili and his nominees for ministerial posts.
He started his address to the legislature with an outline of his plans for the cabinet, saying they have been devised to ensure justice and progress in Iran.
"We know that the time for service is short and the pains and problems of the people are numerous," Raeisi said, according to Press TV.
He pointed to efforts aimed at containing the coronavirus pandemic as a top priority, saying boosting the country’s economy and improving the livelihood of the people are also high on his agenda.
"The government's first priority is controlling the coronavirus, improving the health situation and widespread vaccination," Raeisi said.
Since late June, Iran has seen what officials have called a "fifth wave" of COVID-19 infections, the country's worst yet, which they have largely blamed on the more contagious Delta variant of the virus, AFP wrote.
Daily infections and deaths have hit record highs several times this month, raising total cases since the pandemic started to over 4.5 million and fatalities to more than 100,000.
More than 16.3 million people out of the country's 83 million inhabitants have been given a first vaccine dose, but only 5.4 million have received the second, the Health Ministry said Friday.
Raeisi has tapped 63-year-old optometrist Bahram Eynollahi as his health minister.
He defended his pick as "a figure who can rally forces in the fight against coronavirus".
"The economy and the livelihood situation are the second" priority, he added, noting that his lineup is meant to bring about "justice and progress".
Raeisi said his proposed list of ministers constitutes both young and experienced figures, whose main characteristics are commitment to working diligently and fighting corruption.
The president defended the cabinet makeup, saying he had tried to choose the most qualified in various fields.
"The lineup is not based on a specific organization or political party," he said. "Any causal, relative and family relationship or pressure from any individual, current or party has absolutely had no role in the nomination and selection of ministers."
Raeisi has said his plan is to form a "popular government". Its roadmap for transforming Iran, he said on Saturday, is to push for the "excellence of the Islamic and Iranian culture", develop a "resistance economy", develop international relations based on national interests, and promote Iran's inspirational role in the Muslim world.
The resistance economy is a concept proposed by Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in 2016 to leverage domestic capabilities in order to overcome gaps resulting from US policies to restrict business with Iran and insulate the economy from sanctions or hostile foreign activity.
The president noted that short- and mid-term plans have been formulated to tackle the country’s problems.
"You are well aware of the situation," he told Parliament. "Solving the problems of inflation above 44% declared by the Statistical Center or more than 55% of the Central Bank, a sharp devaluation of the national currency, a significant budget deficit, severe power shortages and hardships, high liquidity growth, high government debt and other issues is possible, but it requires a plan. It also needs an efficient force that can be transformative in any part of the country."
He described Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, his pick for foreign minister, as a person with sound knowledge and expertise in his major.
“Balanced foreign policy, development of neighborly relations, prioritization of economy in foreign interactions and activation of economic diplomacy will be high on the Foreign Ministry’s agenda,” the president said.
Raeisi went on to defend his choice for Iranian defense minister, Brigadier General Mohammadreza Ashtiani, saying he is a prominent figure among members of Iran’s Armed forces and very well-informed of military affairs.
Iranian legislators started debating the ministerial picks in an alphabetical order. One supporter and one opponent of each nominee gave a speech.
Addressing the session, MP Karim Hosseini said Iran is definitely at a critical juncture, and a high vote for Raeisi’s cabinet signifies the Islamic Republic’s power, and the authority of the Establishment.
“The new government is expected to address the concerns of the nation, especially those that have been expressed in recent years by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the country’s sympathizers,” he said.
On August 13, Raeisi submitted the list of his proposed ministers to Parliament to receive a vote of confidence.
The president will have up to three months to name a replacement in case any of the proposed ministers fails to win the vote.
The formal sessions on the vote of confidence for the ministerial picks are expected to continue for four days.
Source: Iran Daily