Iranian MPs want to question Ahmadinejad

Ali Motahari (left) and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Ali Motahari, conservative member of Islamic Republic Parliament, announced that the MPs have collected the necessary signatures “to question the president.”

He added that over 50 representatives have signed the petition to “question a number of actions taken by the president” in the past year.

Aftab website reported that Ali Motahari, who has been criticizing a number of moves by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, announced that the petition will be presented to the parliament’s board of administrators after the legislation for restructuring subsidies has been finalized.

Motahari maintained that questioning the president must not become a “taboo.” He added that the parliament has the right to question the president at any time.

He added however that the questions will be presented at an appropriate time with consideration of the current sensitive atmosphere and in order to avoid “tensions” as much as possible.

He stated: “Even at the time of war or when Tehran is under a blitz, questioning the president should remain a natural affair of the state and whenever necessary questions must be put to the president without creating extra conflicts.”

In September, Ali Motahari began collecting signatures at the parliament in order to question the president and according to regulations; they have to collect 75 signatures in order to call the president to the parliament.

The questionable issues listed in the proposal include “the government’s statements regarding the place of the parliament in the Islamic Republic system”, “Lack of attention to cultural issues of the society”, “the statements of Rahim Mashai, head of the president’s office, about the Iranian school of thought rather than the Islamic school of thought” and “recent liberal cultural policies.”

Ali Motahari is a conservative member of the parliament. who despite belonging to right wing factions, has been very critical of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad administration on several issues in the past year and a half.