2 Ministerial Nominees to Seek Vote of Confidence Next Week

The new ministers nominated by President Hassan Rouhani to take the helm of the ministries of education and cultural heritage will defend their track record in a parliamentary session next week for a vote of confidence, according to a lawmaker. 
Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei, the proposed minister of education, and Ali Asghar Mounesan, Rouhani's nominee to head the newly established Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Ministry, will attend the parliament on Sept. 3, Alireza Rahimi told IRNA on Tuesday. 
He said the president will have an hour to defend his nominees and several parliamentarians will speak in favor and against Rouhani's choices. 
“The ministerial picks will also have an opportunity to elaborate on their plans to improve the performance of their respective ministries to get the parliament's approval,” Rahimi said.
If confirmed, Haji-Mirzaei will replace Mohammad Bat’haei, who had resigned earlier this year to run for a seat in parliament in February 2020. Mounesan served as the head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, which was recently converted into a ministry.