Brave Majlis in Claw of the Cautious Gov’t
The open session of Majlis on Tuesday December 1 made history in the seven and half years life of the 11th and 12th government, namely, President Hassan Rouhani’s governments. Majlis legislators with 251 votes in favor, in this session and during reviewing the outlines of a draft bill, dubbed the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions, for lifting of the sanctions and safeguarding national interests, approved its generalities that the government was totally opposed of its approval.
IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK
After the overwhelming approval of the generalities of the draft bill, lawmakers chanted slogans like “Down with the U.S.”, “Down with Israel”, “The blood in our veins, is the gift to our Leader.” The double-urgency draft bill Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions which had been referred to the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee for further studies, was discussed and debated there in presence of the related executive bodies and experts of Majlis Research Center, and by ratification of its title and its text, the bill was approved and then the committee’s report in accordance with the Article 161 of Majlis internal status book was handed over to Majlis for voting by legislators. The approved bill pursues goals as follows: The first goal is to undo the locks, inflicted on the national nuclear industry. The second goal is to confront with sanctions which are imposed on Iran by Western countries.
Spokesman to the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Abolfazl Amouei, regarding the committee’s approach, says, “We believe by concentration on bolstering our nuclear program and creating restriction for inspections that today there is no logic behind it, we can stand against the sanctions while all balances in the previous agreements have been ruined. And regarding the base for these inspections from our nuclear centers there is a question and there should be a response to this balance and imbalance.”
Lawmakers’ votes insist on the text and content for Iran’s withdrawal from implementing the additional protocol which has been created in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and any country can accept it voluntarily.
The Islamic Republic of Iran on December 18, 2003, and during Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s presidency and just a verbal measure joined the IAEA’s additional protocol. The story behind this was that in October 2003 and during the simultaneous presence of foreign ministers of UK, France and Germany in Tehran (Saad Abad talks). Iranian negotiating team, led by Hassan Rouhani, the then Secretary of Supreme National Security Council, in an action which they called it aimed at trust-building with European states, decided to sign and implement the additional protocol voluntarily and make themselves captive in the claw of IAEA inspections.
After revelation of Majlis decision to present the double-urgency draft bill and its approval, the government spokesman Ali Rabiei expressed the government’s opposition to this bill and said, “The government believes the issue is only in the authority of the Supreme National Security Council, and responsibility for making any decision on the nuclear program and the JCPOA according to the Article 176 of the constitutions is beyond a branch of power and no branch of power cannot by itself act out of this framework and it seems Majlis (legislative power) cannot either enter these issues and the Guardian Council will definitely take it into consideration when it reviews the Majlis approval and it will consider legal restrictions and national expediencies.” Touching upon this issue, President Rouhani officially said, “The government does not agree with the bill passed by the Parliament yesterday, and considers it to be detrimental to diplomatic efforts.”
Touching upon the Majlis approval, the president in the cabinet meeting on Wednesday said the reason for his no show in Majlis for submitting the next year budget was only observing the health protocols recommended by the National Anti-Corona Headquarters, adding, “In this condition it is better to review statistics of the past years carefully. In all fields like nuclear field, the condition that the country is in it is by far better than eight years ago. We have reached IR8 and IR9 from IR1 and IR2.We today are able to enrich IR2M in different chains. We are also able to have enrichment chain with IR6. Such capabilities have never existed in the country. Today in terms of nuclear field, the country is stronger than any time. In terms of facilities and research and development, our condition is better than any time. We should not enter this issue due to political or electoral competition that I think it is too early, because it makes us to violate the ethics or avoid telling the truth.”
Something which definitely clear is that Iran’s pullout of the voluntary additional protocol is a right that Iranian nation and especially Majlis should fully consider it and President’s remarks can observe his saving of his actions in drawing his horn during the Saad Abad nuclear talks, and he can also accuse Majlis actions as an electoral gesture which means Majlis Speaker Muhammad Baqer Qalibaf and his probable candidacy in the 2021 presidential election.
But that the government caution to what extent will be to the national interests will be forcibly be defined in the global reaction of Iran’s enemies. Joe Biden’s arrival at the White House has thickened the government’s precaution as it both does not give any permission for taking revenge regarding assassination of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and leaves Majlis high and dry in order that it could not take retaliatory actions regarding the terrorist acts and West’s stance.
By: Hamid Reza Naghashian
- source : IRAN NEWS
