TEHRAN A number of Majlis representatives are disappointed at the way a proposal on the oil agreements was killed on the floor of the Parliament. They argue that the MPs are more entitled than the aliens to know the details of oil agreements singed between Iran and foreign companies.

A proposal was presented to the Majlis demanding copies of all oil agreements with foreign firms to be given to Parliament. During the first voting, the proposal was ratified by Parliament, but some MPs questioned the authenticity of voting. Consequently, the proposal was put to the vote once again, and it was killed in the second voting. The Vice-Speaker Behzad Nabavi was among those who cast a vote against the proposal.

Talking to the TEHRAN TIMES on the issue, a number of MPs said that the Majlis has every right to be informed about the nature of the oil agreements with the foreign companies.

"While aliens are informed about the agreements, why shouldn't the representatives of the people?" asked Fakhroddin Saberi, an MP belonging to the majority faction of the Parliament. He was referring to the foreign companies that have signed agreements with Iran. "The foreign oil companies have a copy of the agreements, but the MPs are not entitled to have them," he complaint.

"Our country still carries some old wounds on its body. We are currently celebrating the 22nd anniversary of our independence. During the Qajar and Pahlavi eras, we signed some agreements that undermined our independence. Therefore, the supervision of the Majlis over the agreements could be in line with the protection of our independence," he said.

Iran has signed a number of oil agreements, mainly on buyback formula, with French, Italian, Russian, Malaysian, and British companies.

Due to legal hurdles, the Fifth Majlis decided to authorize agreements with foreign companies on buyback basis.

The Clinton administration slapped oil sanctions on Iran in May 1995 and the American oil company, Conoco, abrogated an oil agreement worth billions of dollars due to the sanctions. Before the sanctions, the United States used to purchase one-forth of Iranian oil exports.

"The proposal was fairly rejected in the Majlis, but some MPs lobbied others, including myself, and asked them not to vote for the proposal. As a result, it was killed," the Chairman of the Majlis Economic Commission, Reza Abdollahi, told the TEHRAN TIMES.

"You see," Abdollahi, 45, who has been a member of the Parliament for four terms said, "according to the notes 2 and 4 of the Article 112 of the Majlis internal regulations, the details of all foreign loans must be submitted to the Parliament along with the budget bill, but it has not been done so far."

Moreover, all the buyback and finance agreements must be ratified by the Majlis, he said, adding the MPs must have full knowledge of such agreements. A member of the minority faction of the Majlis, Abdollahi has been a member of the budget, power, and post and telegraph commissions. "Although two representatives from the Parliament's budget and energy commissions used to attend the sessions meant to conclude the oil agreements, they have not informed the MPs about the nature of the agreements," Hassan Sobhani, a university professor and an independent member of Parliament told the TEHRAN TIMES.

A Ph.D. in Economics, Sobhani, 47, was a member of the Fifth Majlis and is the member of the Sixth Parliament. He has written 18 books and is currently a member of the Management and Planning Commission of the Majlis.

Sobhani said, "While approving the buyback agreements with foreign companies, the Fifth Majlis did not specify the amount of the agreements, rather it allowed up to 180,000 bpd. The MPs do not have any information about the agreements that have thus far been concluded."

He added that a certain Majlis commission might be aware of them, but has not informed the MPs about such agreements.

"I believe that the Parliament must be fully aware of such agreements. No any other organization can recognize the country's interests better than the Parliament," he added.

I think some of the MPs do not have full knowledge of their responsibilities as representatives of the people, he said, adding, therefore in some cases they consider a tiny issue to be of national interest. Therefore, it becomes their major concern and overshadows the main problems. On the involvement of vested interests in the rejection of the bill, he said, "I hope that it is not so and the MPs will prove that they give priority to the national interests."

Also commenting on the same issue, Saberi said, "According to the Constitution, the MPs have every right to supervise all the issues that are related to our national interests. One of these issues is the nature of our interaction with foreign countries in economic and political affairs. The agreements with foreign countries have direct impact on our national interests.

"We expected the Sixth Majlis to be more sensitive about the agreements which are related to national interests in order to stop rentiers and abuse of public purse. Hence, we expected the proposal to be approved by the Majlis.

"Those who tried to change the idea of the MPs in order to kill the bill were after economic or political advantages for themselves or their factions."

Also talking to the TEHRAN TIMES, another member of the majority faction of the Parliament, Akbar A'lami, said, "Although according to the law, all organizations and ministries must report their performance to the Parliament, I have not seen even a single buyback contract signed between the Oil Ministry and foreign companies."

"When we raise the slogan of transparency, we must be transparent in all spheres," A'lami added, "it seems that some of the officials do not consider the MPs as insiders, while the aliens are informed about every details of the contracts."