Iran parliament's strong vote for cabinet may have lasting implications

The Iranian parliament's overwhelming vote of confidence in President Masoud Pezeshkian's cabinet ministers on Wednesday is likely to have lasting implications that could reshape part of the country's political landscape.

One significant outcome may be the marginalization of the ultraconservative Paydari Party, whose members had hoped to block at least four of Pezeshkian's ministerial nominees.

The "political purification" process, which began under former President Ebrahim Raisi, was intended to consolidate power within Paydari and other like-minded hardliners, aiming to transform the semi-democratic Islamic Republic into a more fundamentalist, fanatical, and totalitarian state. However, it appears that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has opted for a different strategy, steering the government through a carefully engineered political process that began with Pezeshkian's election in a lackluster contest.

Khamenei's 35-year track record as the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader suggests that he won't completely eliminate Paydari from Iran's volatile political scene. Instead, as he has done with reformists and various ultraconservative and conservative groups, Khamenei is likely to marginalize Paydari and keep it in reserve for a time when he might need the party again. This mirrors his approach with Iran's reformists, whom he sidelined for more than two decades before partially reviving them ahead of the presidential election.

Iranian journalist Sima Parvanehgohar has pointed out that Pezeshkian is the second Iranian Pesident who has had all of his cabinet ministers approved by the parliament. However, she also pointed out that former President Mohammad Khatami’s and Pezeshkian's first cabinets have nothing else in common other than getting their vote of confidence from predominantly conservative parliaments.

Like most other Iranian analysts, she also said that the vote of confidence for all of Pezeshkian's minister by a hardline conservative parliament made it clear that Iran watchers had over-estimated the Paydari Party's power as well as the capability of Pezeshkian's main political rival Saeed Jalili to form a strong opposition at the parliament.

Similarly, the voting outcome highlighted Majles Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf's ability to organize and mobilize his supporters, as well as other conservatives in the Majles, to throw their weight behind Pezeshkian.

As political analyst Mostafa Najafi pointed out: "Ghalibaf is one of the few Iranian politicians who understands the rules of the political game in Iran and has the ability to adapt his approach to broader changes. This is how he transformed his major defeat in the presidential election into a significant political victory in the Majles on Wednesday—a victory likely to erase the memory of his previous setback."

Over the past week, Ghalibaf stood firm against Paydari members like Amir Hossein Sabeti, Hamid Rasai, and Malek Shariati, who tried their best to disrupt the discussions and block Pezeshkian's success. According to Parvanehgohar, the lawmakers' votes demonstrated that the Majles overwhelmingly rejected the ideology that Paydari and Jalili have been pushing forward.

Yet another implication of the votes for Pezeshkian's ministers was introducing transparency at the Majles. Pezeshkian revealed how Khamenei intervened in the process of nomination and accreditation of the cabinet ministers. Although the President has been widely criticized for his transparency, and some hardliners called on him to correct his behavior, the President's move could be a welcome first step to share information with the public.