Al-Monitor- After weeks of speculation, Iran’s moderate President Hassan Rouhani submitted his proposed second-term Cabinet to parliament Aug. 8. The lineup appears set to potentially face obstacles in obtaining the necessary votes of confidence.

Rouhani has kept roughly half of his Cabinet ministers, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Labor and Social Welfare Minister Ali Rabiei, Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh, Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, Health and Medical Education Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Roads and Urban Development Minister Abbas Akhoundi, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Masoud Soltanifar. Of note, Rouhani does not appear to have so far named anyone as minister of science, research and technology.

The current list of proposed ministers has drawn criticism from both Reformists and moderates, who are discontent with Rouhani’s choices. In recent weeks, the Reformists have demanded that Rouhani not surrender to pressure from conservatives and hard-liners who once dominated parliament and instead pick suitable ministers who believe in his campaign promises, which were based on political and social reform. In addition, the Reformists expected Rouhani to appoint at least one woman as a minister — an expectation that has not been realized. However, Mohsen Biglari, a moderate member of parliament, said Aug. 8, “There are rumors about the naming of a woman for the Science Ministry.”

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