TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian lawmakers once again did not vote in favor of President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi’s proposed education minister and rejected his pick Masoud Fayyazi.
140 lawmakers voted against Fayyazi and 115 voted for.
The nomination was put to vote on Tuesday after Parliament reviewed the qualifications of the proposed Minister of Education with Raisi making a speech in defense of his pick with pros and cons delivering their own addresses before Parliament.
At the end of the voting, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf asked the president to introduce his next pick for the Ministry of Education in due course.
An Iranian MP says the president has one week to introduce his new nominee for Education Minister. Seyyed Nezameddin Mousavi, spokesman for the parliament presiding board said after Raisi’s first pick lost the confidence vote, he was given three months under the law to propose any number of nominees and win the vote of confidence.
He added that seven days are left from that three-month period.
Mousavi said in the past, the period has been extended following approval by the Leader of Islamic Revolution. But he urged the president to introduce his new pick for Education Minister as soon as possible.
Addressing Majlis in defense of his pick, the president called the best method in the process of selecting ministers ‘competence’ and said that media pressure and friendship would not lead to the introduction of a minister.
Raisi stated that in the process of selecting the minister, workgroups were formed, and more than twenty people were interviewed; particular emphasis was placed on anti-corruption, having a revolutionary spirit, efficiency, and the spirit of change.
“Among all the studies conducted, Fayyazi enjoyed an acceptable and privileged position, and even a few former ministers of education approved of him,” he added.
Pointing out that recommendations are not effective for introducing any official, Raisi stressed that the criterion for qualification is on him.
In defense of his proposed education minister, the president said: “He has been a teacher for many years and knows the class, education, and course content.”
“Massoud Fayyazi has been the director-general of the education staff, sometimes he has been the designer of virtual education, he has been in charge of technology in the ministry and he is familiar with publishing,” Raisi said.
In August, Majlis had rejected Raisi’s pick for education ministry and he has now three months deadline to name his pick for this job.
