MPs Reject Proposed Education Minister

The Iranian parliament rejected President Ebrahim Raeisi’s proposed education minister for a second time since he formed his Cabinet in August.
In an open session of the parliament on Tuesday morning, lawmakers disapproved Masoud Fayyazi for the post of education minister with 140 votes against, 115 in favor and 5 abstentions from a total of 260 votes, IRNA reported.
After debates on nominees for Raeisi’s Cabinet in August, the parliamentarians had approved all but his picks for the Education Ministry, which has around 900,000 employees, 63% of whom are teachers.
Critics said Fayyazi lacked sufficient experience in education and was ill-equipped to run a large ministry which has faced teacher protests over pay, among other challenges.
At the end of the voting, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf asked the president to introduce his next pick for the Education Ministry in due course.  
A lawmaker said the president has one week to introduce his new nominee. Nezameddin Mousavi, spokesman for the Majlis Presiding Board said after Raeisi’s first pick lost the confidence vote, he was given three months under the law to propose a nominee 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 the Islamic Revolution.