Mortazavi agrees to resign, decision to impeach labor minister canceled

After the announcement was made, 18 MPs out of 20, who had signed the impeachment motion, cancelled their decisions.

But the initiators of the motion read out a text threatening that if in the coming two or three days the “resignation is not announced officially,” they will again push for impeachment.

However, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said that according to the regulations of the Majlis, the impeachment cannot again be put on the Majlis’ agenda.

Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare Minister Abdolreza Sheikholeslami would have faced impeachment on Sunday if Mortazavi had not resigned.

Despite warnings by some parliamentarians, Sheikholeslami appointed Mortazavi to the new post in the last days of the previous Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 19.

A number of MPs hold Mortazavi, the former Tehran prosecutor general, partly responsible for the Kahrizak incident, in which three inmates lost their lives.

Mortazavi told me he would not go to work: MP

MP Ahmad Tavakkoli said that Mortazavi had telephoned him promising that he will not go to work.

“Mortazavi phoned me and said he is at home and promised not to go to his office,” Tavakkoli said.

MP Mostafa Kavakebian stated that a text message was sent to MPs on Saturday, which read that Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Reza Mirtajodini had said that the government would give no “guarantee” that Mortazavi’s resignation will be accepted.

Kavakebian added that in light of such remarks, the withdrawal of impeachment by MPs was premature.

Tavakkoli also said that Mortazavi had telephoned MP Ali Zakani emphasizing that he will no longer attend the work.

Mirtajodini told reporters that Mortazavi has not submitted his resignation to the president.

He also said, “The president and his first deputy and a number of ministers had come to the entrance doors of the Majlis” to defend the impeachment session against the labor minister when suddenly it was announced that MPs had withdrawn their bid.

Zakani told the parliament that Mortazai in his talks with Hadad-Adel had promised that even if his resignation is not accepted by the minister or president, he will not attend his work.

“Even he called Mr. Hadad Adel and said, ‘You announce this report,’ and Mr. Hadad announced it,” Zakani said.

PA/PA
END
MNA