Cabinet Reshuffling Continues with Third Rouhani Minister Leaving Post

Fuente: 
Fars News Agency
Fecha de publicación: 
19 Oct 2016

"Fani is no longer in charge of the Education Ministry and Bathaei has replaced him as caretaker," Member of the Iranian Parliament's Presiding Board Akbar Ranjbarzadeh told FNA on Wednesday.

He reiterated that Fani's resignation has been accepted by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Two other ministers tendered their resignations on Tuesday. Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati and Sports and Youth Minister Mahmoud Goodarzi resigned during a cabinet meeting here in Tehran on Tuesday.

President Rouhani endorsed their resignations on Wednesday.

But the case with the education minister is more complicated than the other two. Fani was awaiting a parliament impeachment when some rumors surfaced the Iranian media about his resignation on Tuesday.

An informed source told the Iranian students news agency that Fani has presented his resignation to President Hassan Rouhani during the cabinet meeting on Tuesday as well.

Later in the evening on Tuesday, Fani's advisor called FNA to reject the ISNA report, stressing that the Education Minister has "neither resigned nor been sacked".

Later in the evening, Fani himslef conducted an interview with Tasnim news agency strongly rejecting the rumors.

ISNA is close to the government of president Hassan Rouhani and the report was believed to be a move by the government to set the stage for either his sacking or forced resignation.

Speculations about President Rouhani's pressure on Fani to force him to resign grew stronger after the education minister wrote an open letter to the president, stressing that he is well prepared to carry on his job and strongly defend his record at the parliament if he is impeached.

Fani's tone and rhetoric in the letter left no doubt that he is under pressure by the president to resign as it indicated he is both much interested and resolved to carry on with his ministerial post, but would leave the final decision about the future of his career to "President Rouhani".

All the three ministers accompanied Rouhani to power when he rose to office in a fragile victory in 2013, and their resignations came as Rouhani will be in office only for less than 10 months.

Iranians will go to the polls next May to elect the country's next president.

Source:http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950728001439