Iran parliament censures Rouhani in sign pragmatists losing sway
ENGLAND - Iran’s parliament voted yesterday to reject President Hassan Rouhani’s explanations for economic hardship after a dramatic grilling on live TV, a sign his pragmatic faction is losing sway to hardline rivals as new US sanctions begin to bite.
Rouhani won two landslide elections on a platform of economic reform and opening Iran up to the outside world, and his pragmatic supporters have a majority in the parliament. But his reputation and political influence have taken a sharp hit as his promised economic gains have failed to materialize. His highest profile achievement was to negotiate the lifting of financial sanctions on Iran in a 2015 deal with world powers over its nuclear program, but US President Donald Trump pulled out in May and Washington has re-imposed sanctions.
Rouhani spoke out in parliament in defense of his economic record, blaming the country’s woes on the U.S. sanctions rather than his team’s management. But a majority of lawmakers voted to reject his explanation in four out of five areas. There were conflicting reports about what would follow from the vote: several Iranian news agencies said Rouhani’s case would now be referred to the judiciary, although the spokesman for the parliamentary leadership, Behrouz Nemati, said lawmakers must hold further discussion before that would take place.
The action in parliament is a further sign of how the Trump administration’s decision to re-impose sanctions could affect Iran’s leadership and its relationship with the outside world, potentially for decades to come.
(Reuters)