President Hassan Rouhani has proposed Mahmoud Nili Ahmadabadi to the Majlis as minister of science, research and technology.
In a letter to Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, Rouhani announced the nomination of Ahmadabadi according to Article 133 of the Constitution, IRNA reported on Wednesday. In August, the Majlis voted for an impeachment motion to dismiss then science minister Reza Faraji-Dana. The conservative members of parliament had accused Faraji-Dana of mismanagement, especially concerning the case of students expelled from universities.
Since then, Rouhani appointed Mohammad Ali Najafi, who himself had failed to obtain the parliament's vote of confidence for the post of education minister, as caretaker science minister. Lawmaker Hossein Sobhaninia told the Mehr news agency on Wednesday that the receipt of the president's letter on the nomination of the new minister will be officially acknowledged on Sunday by the Majlis Presiding Board. After the receipt of the nomination letter is acknowledged, the proposed minister will have ten days to present his plans to parliamentarians and discuss them at the meetings of relevant committees, Sobhaninia added.
"The session for a confirmation vote is expected to be held within the coming two weeks."
Mahmoud Nili Ahmadabadi is currently the caretaker chancellor of the University of Tehran. He is a professor of metallurgy and obtained his Ph.D. from Japan's Tohoku University in 1994.
