Iranian parliament approves 18 ministerial nominees

TEHRAN, August 26 : Iranian lawmakers on Wednesday gave votes of confidence to 18 out of 19 ministers proposed by President Ebrahim Raisi, according to the parliament's website.
   
The lawmakers started the debates on the qualification of the nominees last Saturday and decided on the list of the cabinet on Wednesday.
   
In the parliament meeting, after hearing the last defenses of Raisi about his proposed ministers, the lawmakers expressed their opinion on the competence of each of the nominees and then cast their votes.
   
After the parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf announced the results of the voting session, the candidate for Ministry of Education was the only person who did not win the approval of the parliament.
   
According to the law, the president has three months to nominate the remaining minister.
   
On Aug. 11, Raisi submitted the list of proposed ministers to the parliament.    Among the approved, Hossein Amir Abdollahian became Iran's foreign minister.
   
He was former deputy foreign minister for Arab and African Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former special aide to the speaker of the parliament on international affairs.
   
Javad Owji, former head of Iran's National Gas Company, was appointed the Minister of Petroleum.
   
Raisi on Wednesday appointed Mohsen Rezaei, one of his rivals in the June presidential election, as the vice president for economic affairs.