TEHRAN, Oct. 22 (MNA) – An informed source in the Parliament has said President Rouhani will nominate three people for Cabinet empty positions following resignation of three of his ministers.


The same source said Mr. Mohammad Ali Najafi for Ministry of Education, Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri for Ministry of Culture, and Masoud Soltanifar for Ministry of Sports and Youth would be introduced to receive votes of confidence from the Parliament.

“The nominations would wait for 10 days before providing their programs to the Parliament after being nominated by Rouhani,” the source added.

In 1989, Mohammad Ali Najafi became the minister of education under then President Hashemi Rafsanjani and, served until 1997. A reformist politician and a deputy in Khatami’s administration, Najafi was nominated for the position of Ministry of Education in 2013 by Rouhani and was rejected by Principlist-majority Parliament with 142 votes in favor, 133 against, and 9 abstentions. The criticism leveled against him in the Parliament related to his role in 2009 presidential elections events.

He was appointed head of Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization on 17 August. However, Najafi resigned from his position on 30 January 2014 due to 'health problems,' making it the first change in Rouhani's cabinet.

Two other nominations are less known politicians and have served in Rouhani’s administration as deputies. Soltanifar is currently Head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO), who assumed the position when Najafi resigned early in 2014. Salehi Amiri is Head of Iran’s National Library.

With a Parliament far from conservative 9th Parliament of 2013 when Rouhani faced severe pressures and opposition in a number of his nominations, now the cabinet would soon know the new ministers, with Mr. Najafi speculated to be the center of a new debate in the Parliament as he was once rejected for being a minister.

By Mehr News Agency