TEHRAN – A vocal principlist MP, Ali Motahhari, has criticized his fellow lawmakers for their passive response to illegal actions by administration, calling on MPs to take a firmer stance against the violation of law.

“Where in the Constitution is it set out that Majlis should set up a working group to beg the administration while the administration does not implement the law and insists on its (illegitimate) demands,” Motahhari told the parliament on Wednesday.
The administration forced the Majlis to give in to its demands about subsidy reform plan and announced that it would not implement the parliament’s ratification concerning budget for Tehran metro, but the Majlis did not use its authority to force the administration to implement the law and only “implored” it to fulfill its obligations, he stated.
“It is humiliating for Majlis,” he added.
If Majlis does not take firm action against the administration’s illegal moves, the administration will repeat law-breaking, he asserted.
Majlis should prevent an emergence of “dictatorship” and if it fails to do so it has betrayed the nation, he added.
The pro-administration MPs should know that if they remain silent about the violation of law, they have to remain silent about illegal actions by the next administrations in the future, he opined.
Motahhari also pointed to the appointment of special envoys by the president, saying the move goes against the Constitution and the Supreme Leader’s directives.
On Ahmadinejad’s proposal for holding a debate with Barack Obama, he said the Supreme Leader has ruled out the possibility of direct negotiation with the U.S. government, but the president has once again proposed to engage in a debate with the U.S. president.
In the current situation, making proposal for holding negotiation with U.S. officials can be interpreted as the effectiveness of the sanctions against Iran.