TEHRAN – MP Vali Esmaeili stated on Friday that the Majlis principlist faction will have a meeting on Sunday to review Rahim-Mashaii’s appointment as the first vice president.

“We will not budge an inch here. The issue will affect the representatives’ confidence vote to the cabinet members,” he told the Mehr News Agency.
Esmaeili added Rahim-Mashaii’s remarks have been “too costly” for the government and his views have been “troublesome”.
The MP also added the principlist MPs are bothered by Ahmadinejad’s delay to dismiss Rahim-Mashaii.
Esmaeili explained that the reformists should not take the appointment as an opportunity to undermine Ahmadinejad and his cabinet because “If Ahmadinejad has one Mashaii, previous administrations had tens of Mashaiis.”
The president stated on Wednesday that Rahim-Mashaii is one of the best managers and there is no reason for ousting him.
Meanwhile, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Alam al-Hoda criticized Ahmadinejad for appointing Rahim-Mashaii as the first vice president, saying that the nation will not tolerate the president’s deviation from the path of Velayat (rule of the jurisprudent).
“We have voted for Ahmadinejad and stand by our votes. However, we can never tolerate Ahmadienajd’s deviation from the path of Leadership and Velayat,” he told thousands of worshippers at the Friday prayers in Mashhad.
There has been severe opposition to Rahim-Mashaii’s vice presidency due to his remarks about Israeli people. In 2008, Rahim-Mashaii said, “Iran is a friend of the Israeli people” in stark contrast to Iran’s stance on the Zionist regime.
Alam al-Hoda also pointed out that the president is not authorized to appoint anyone until his presidency is ratified by the Supreme Leader.
“Dr. Ahmadinejad is the legal president until 12 of Mordad (August 3). Then, (his presidency) depends on the Leader’s confirmation and his recent appointments are both against religion and illegal,” he said. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered Ahmadinejad to dismiss Rahim-Mashaii.
Cleric Reza Qolami, the director of the Cultural and Social Research Center, said Ahmadinejad’s refusal to comply with the Leader’s order puts the legitimacy of the tenth cabinet under question.
Qolami added, “Apart from whether Mr. Mashaii is qualified for the first vice presidency and whether his appointment is logical or not, his views about Islam and the Islamic Revolution are diversionary, unacceptable,…. Surely, such a person cannot be appointed to critical posts.”
He also pointed out, “It is surprising that Mr. Ahmadinejad does not understand the critical condition of the country and, by insisting on this problematic element, is creating a great rift between him and the major part of those who have voted for him.”
“Disregarding the Supreme Jurisprudent’s order has a heavy cost and the Iranian revolutionary people will not compromise with anyone in this regard,” he insisted.
Mashaii’s vice presidency never proper
Loyalists of the Islamic Revolution Party chief Habibollah Bour-Bour pointed out that Mashaii vice presidency has never been proper.
“When the Supreme Leader, Maraje’ Taqlid (sources of emulation), and principlist groupings dissatisfied with Mr. Mashaii’s former positions, his post in the cabinet should not be elevated,” he told the MNA on Friday.
Bour-Bour added choosing Rahim-Mashaii as the first vice president is undermining all those principlists who have spared no efforts during the life of the Islamic Revolution.
Compliance
Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee member Hossein Sobhaninia stated that the society is awaiting Ahmadinejad’s compliance with the Supreme Leader’s order to dismiss Rahim-Mashaii.
He also advised the president to have a “wider and more comprehensive look” in appointing ministers.
“Choosing individuals who belong to a particular group is not to the benefit of the administration,” the MP told MNA.
Sobhaninia added Ahmadinejad should consult with MPs in appointing cabinet members, otherwise he will not succeed.