Iran MPs urge Majlis support for President's budget

After the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) refused to include President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's preferred provision in the budget bill, a number of lawmakers urge the legislative body to cooperate with the government.

Member of the Majlis Cultural Commission Hamid Rassai and members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Hossein Sobhaninia and Esmail Kowsari urged the Parliament to support the government.

"The Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] in his recent speech in Mashhad noted that the government is responsible for implementing the [economic reform] plan and therefore all governing bodies including Majlis must cooperate [with the government] on this matter," Rassai said on Friday.

The development comes after a long heated debate over President Ahmadinejad's economic reform plan — which would have saved up to USD 40 billion by eliminating subsidies.

Based on the 347-billion-dollar budget, the government plans to start a major plan to scrape costly energy and food subsidies thus reducing government expenditure.

However, earlier in March, lawmakers wrapped up 14 long sessions of debate and passed the much anticipated budget bill, permitting the government to eliminate USD 20 billion worth of subsidies — half of the amount requested by President Ahmadinejad.

The Guardian Council also approved "the amendments to next year's budget bill sent by Parliament."

Recalling the Leader's support for the government, Rassai criticized Speaker Ali Larijani, who had said that "parliament would not reconsider the approved budget bill."

Lawmaker Sobhaninia also urged Parliament to support the government.

President Ahmadinejad believes a referendum is the best solution to ending the dispute over the proposed economic reform plan.

This is while three other lawmakers had on Saturday slammed Ahmadinejad for launching an attack on the elected representatives of the nation, saying the president is obliged by law to execute the economic reform plan approved by Majlis.


/Press TV/