Parliament votes today to approve the new president’s Cabinet. Rohani’s candidates include a woman and famous oil barons close to the opposition Green Wave. All of the proposed Cabinet members have studied abroad, many in the United States.

Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A former ambassador to the UN, internationally renowned cooperate managers and people with close ties with the United States and other Western countries: these are some of the characteristics of members of the new government cabinet chosen by the President Hassan Rohani. Today, Parliament will vote on the approval of the names he has submitted. According to news agency Fars, at least 80% of parliamentarians are in line with Rohani. 148 MEPs have spoken up in favour of his choices in recent days. Only 18 conservative politicians have opposed his Cabinet choices and reform program.

Among the nominations most appreciated by the international community is that of Elham Aminzadeh, a lawyer and women, who will become vice-president for Legal Affairs. The woman, who is a past ambassador to the United Nations, studied international law at the University of Glasgow, with a doctoral thesis entitled "The United Nations, peace and security: A legal analysis and practice." Currently Aminzadeh is assistant professor of public law at the University of Tehran. In a press conference held on August 12, the president said that the woman was chosen for her profound expertise in legal matters.

Aminzadeh is only one of the technicians with a proven capacity and studies abroad who has been chosen by the new president. Most of the remainder served during moderate governments of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami.

However, the extremist fringe does not agree with several of Ministers presented by Rohani. One of them is Bijan Zanganeh chosen as oil minister. He is considered one of the best managers in the oil industry, the main economic resource of the country, but at the same time is hated by conservatives for his ties with opposition leaders Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. Both have been in jail since 2009, after the street protests that brought millions of people to demonstrate against the then President Ahmadinejad.

Another candidate well-known for his skills is Mohammad Javad Zarif, proposed as Foreign Minister. For six years he was UN ambassador in Iran, and is well known in New York and in Washington circles as a capable and honest diplomat. The future Chief of Staff Mohammad Nahavandian will instead be the bridge between the moderate wing and one more in line with the Conservatives. The man has a traditional Islamic education and a Ph.D. in economics from the United States. After the revolution of '79 Nahavandian succeeded in forging a successful career within the theocratic system of Ayatollah without renouncing to his positions. According to analysts, the future chief of staff has a relationship of trust with both the religious authorities with more reformist politicians.

In his inaugural address, Rohani vowed to fight the high inflation and unemployment, pursue a more "constructive" foreign policy and allow more social freedoms than his uncompromising predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "Your vote of confidence in the ministers - he said recently in a speech to Parliament - is not only a vote for the people, is a vote for the entire government and its future programs."

 

• iran
• rohani
• government
• cabinet
• reform
• ayatollah