The parliament has received a motion to impeach Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif over his recent comments about “widespread money laundering” in Iran and a host of foreign policy issues.
“Today, a proposal to impeach the foreign minister was submitted to Majlis Presiding Board, and we sent it to the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission for further consideration,” Lawmaker Ali Asghar Yousefnejad told IRNA on the sidelines of an open session of the parliament on Tuesday.
The motion carries 24 signatures. Based on parliament’s procedural law, at least 10 lawmakers should sign the motion to launch the impeachment process.
Zarif would be the first Iranian foreign minister to be subjected to impeachment proceedings, if the proposal goes forward.
Yousefnejad, a member of Majlis Presiding Board, said the motion will not be discussed in parliament if the number of signatures falls below 10 after it is studied at the commission.
Controversial Remarks
The proposal calls for Zarif to be impeached over his “accusations of money laundering against the Islamic Republic”.
In an interview with Khabar Online earlier this month, the chief diplomat had said those who earn billions of dollars from money laundering in Iran are spending millions of it to prevent the passage of bills requiring more financial transparency.
“After all, money laundering is a reality in our country,” Zarif said, without naming any individuals or institutions involved in the practice.
The Financial Action Task Force, an international transparency watchdog, has demanded that Iran should adhere to anti-money laundering standards and enact laws to prevent financing of terrorism.
The adoption of anti-money laundering and terrorism financing laws by Iran can help its standing with European countries that have pledged to help Iran continue doing trade despite US sanctions.
The foreign minister’s remarks triggered a wave of enraged responses from conservative camps who have asked him to submit evidence to prove his accusation. A number of senior officials have pitched in to defend him.
Other Reasons
The motion cites a number of other reasons to impeach Zarif, including his “lack of attention to the role of economy in diplomacy”, “failure to implement his announced plans”, “not paying enough attention to expansion of relations with a majority of countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America”, “appointment of incompetent ambassadors” and “delay in appointing ambassadors to certain countries”.
It also criticizes the diplomatic apparatus’ failure to take strong measures in response to accusations of Iranian diplomats’ involvement in malicious plots in Europe and says Iran’s national interests have not been upheld in some international agreements.
In a separate development, a motion signed by 27 lawmakers to impeach Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani was submitted to Majlis Presiding Board on Tuesday.
The signatories say Larijani failed to follow due process in regard to bills related to financial reforms demanded by FATF.
The Islamic Republic and North Korea are the only countries on the FATF blacklist, but the Paris-based organization has suspended counter-measures against Tehran while it works on reforms.
