TEHRAN – A number of parliamentarians have expressed views on the proposed cabinet ministers whose names were officially unveiled on Wednesday.

MP Hamid-Reza Katouzian stated on Friday that by nominating former commerce minister Masoud Mirkazemi as the new petroleum minister the administration’s look towards oil is changing into a “commercial” one.
“To achieve the objectives of the 20-Year Outlook Plan, we should make oil a tool for development and do not regard it as a commercial commodity,” he told the Mehr News Agency.
Oil for trade or development
The Majlis Energy Committee chairman added, “It will take anyone who is not familiar with the (oil) industry… at least two years to become familiar with the basic concepts in the ministry… and the nation will suffer serious setbacks in the oil industry during this time.”
He also pointed out, “I believe that Mir-Kazemi is an intelligent person… Such individuals should be appointed to the ministries that are related to their experience and academic fields.”
Cabinet is not competent
MP Ali Motahhari stated that the proposed cabinet is “incompetent”.
“The proposed cabinet is an incompetent cabinet and is not in keeping with the nation’s potentials,” he told the MNA.
Some of the cabinet nominees even do not even meet the criteria set by the president in selecting ministers such as being “qualified” or fit for team work.
Motahhari also pointed out that Ahmadinejad has been looking for “obedient” ministers.
“The president emphasizes that all ministers should follow his economic, political, and cultural ideas because he is elected by people and the people have confirmed his ideas.”
He emphasized that the ideas of Ahmadinejad has deprived the cabinet of many intellectual and competent ministers.
“Ahmadinejad aims to rule over critical ministries like intelligence, culture, petroleum, and foreign ministries. Thus, he has nominated for these ministries individuals whose most important characteristic is obedience,” the MP insisted.
Commenting on the nomination of women ministers, Motahhari said the idea is good if they are qualified.
“I guess making use of a number of woman ministers in this term is Rahim-Mashaii’s proposal,” he remarked.
Ahmadinejad has nominated three women ministers.
On the interaction between the president and the Majlis, the MP said, “The best interaction is that the Majlis does not give confidence vote to the incompetent ministers and compels the president to make use of competent ministers and then (the Majlis) supports the cabinet.”
Nominees should be familiar with development plans
MP Seyyed Reza Akrami pointed out that the nominated ministers should be familiar with the 20-Year Outlook Plan and the five-year development plans.
“It is important for us what an approach the ministers take towards the Outlook Plan and whether they are familiar with the fourth and fifth development plans,” he told the MNA.
The MP refrained from commenting on the nominated ministers and said he should examine their records first.
Akrami stated that housing, addiction, inflation, and unemployment are the most important problems in the society.
At least 4 or 5 nominees fail to get confidence vote
Deputy Majlis Speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar stated on Thursday that at least five or five nominated ministers would fail to win the approval of the Majlis.
“Almost certainly, four or five of these individuals will not get the (confidence) vote. Two or three of them are “suspicious” and we do not know them,” ISNA quoted him as saying on Friday.
He added, “The Majlis maintains that the new ministers are not more efficient than the previous ministers.”
Commenting on the president’s interaction with the Majlis over cabinet makeup, Bahonar pointed out, “Although there were consultations with the members of Majlis presiding board or the representatives, the consultations were not systematic.