Lawmakers lauded the "positive points" of the Cabinet lineup proposed by President Hassan Rouhani, saying "pragmatism" dominates the ministers' agendas.
Lawmaker Sodeif Badri said the economy was uppermost in all the nominees' plans, noting that the plans seem to have been designed taking account of the Sixth Five-Year Development Plan (2017-22) and principles of Resistance Economy outlined by the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to boost domestic production and wean the country off oil revenues.
"On the whole, the positive points of the [proposed] ministers are much more than the negative ones," the lawmaker said, predicting that most of the candidates would win the vote of confidence comfortably.
Economy has become the buzzword in the country since Iran and world powers reached the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2015 that lifted nuclear-related sanctions, providing Iran a fresh chance to revitalize its economy.
Since 1989, Iran has produced and pursued five five-year development plans to help the country achieve sustainable development. On 19 March 2017, the Sixth Plan was approved by the Iranian Parliament.
Reelected President Hassan Rouhani presented the list of his ministerial nominees to parliament for a vote of confidence on August 10. He named only males for 17 out of 18 ministerial slots in his second-term government, with no one yet put forward for science minister.
Iranian lawmakers have started discussions on the qualifications of Rouhani's picks for ministerial posts, with the vote of confidence expected on Sunday.
"During his first year in office, Rouhani's Cabinet did not seem to be in harmony in terms of economy, a problem that has been tackled in the current Cabinet lineup," Badri said.
Lawmaker Ahsan Alavi said the ministers' plans have been devised with an eye on practicalities.
The lawmaker called on the government to learn from their experiences of the first term and start a "troubleshooting" program to find what went awry and what could be done to avoid a repeat in the incoming government.
"The economic team of the previous administration [of Rouhani] lacked coordination in terms of economy. The next administration should not have this snag," Alavi said.
Lawmaker Yonathan Betkolia noted the inclusive nature of the incoming Cabinet as its major characteristic and commended the president for his forceful assertion that nobody had influenced him in selecting his ministers.
He also said the proposed ministers are all seasoned executives who can implement the economic policies of the next government.
All the three aforementioned lawmakers are members of Majlis Development Commission.
