Full Approval Expected for Proposed Cabinet

A lawmaker said the warm atmosphere dominating their meetings with President Hassan Rouhani’s Cabinet nominees indicates all would-be ministers will obtain the vote of confidence to take office. The reelected president unveiled the list of nominees for all but one of the 18 ministerial seats in his second-term Cabinet last Tuesday. Rouhani is to appoint a caretaker for the remaining Cabinet position, the head of Science Ministry, and propose his final choice to the Majlis later. In the last couple of days, Rouhani’s picks were going back and forth to Majlis to meet lawmakers and lobby for confirmation votes. “Seemingly, the nominees have managed to show their capabilities and had great interaction with legislators,” Parvaneh Mafi also told IRNA on Monday. “I believe most of them are capable and could pass the confirmation hearings with a resounding ‘yes’ vote.” The nominees will appear before the parliament to defend their records and plans in the hope of securing confirmation votes from today to Sunday.