TEHRAN (ECOIDEAL)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani participated in an open session of the parliament on Tuesday morning to answer a number of questions raised by lawmakers about the current economic situation.
The president was accompanied by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, Vice-President for Scientific and Technological Affairs Sorena Sattari, Minister of Agriculture Jihad Mahmoud Hojjati, Minister of Interior Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli and Head of Planning and Budget Organization Mohammad Baqer Nobakht.
At the beginning of the session, five main questions were raised by the MPs, including measures to control smuggling of goods and foreign currencies, inefficiency of efforts to decrease unemployment, economic recession, sharp rise in foreign currency rates and a sharp decline in the value of the national currency, and continued banking sanctions against Iran.
The MPs had 30 minutes to raise their questions and Rouhani was given one hour to answer them.
At the end of the session, voting was done at the parliament to show if MPs have been convinced by the president's answers to each issue or not.
Based on voting results, the president's answers to the first four questions were not convincing enough to the legislators but they were satisfied with his answer about the reasons for continued banking sanctions.
Article 88 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran stipulates that when at least one-fourth of the total members of the Parliament asks a question from the president, or any one of the lawmakers asks a question from a responsible minister about his duties, the president or the minister is required to appear in the Parliament.
The response of the president should not be delayed by more than a month and that of the minister by more than ten days; except with a valid excuse so recognized by the Parliament.
According to the article 213 of the 'Rules of Procedure of the Islamic Parliament of Iran', the president will have the duty to show up in the Parliament plenary session within one month from the date the questions are received and answer to the questions raised by the representatives.
Source: Farsnews