Iran lawmakers move to impeach three of Rouhani's ministers
Iranian lawmakers have launched separate bids to impeach three ministers in President Hassan Rouhani's cabinet, giving the already embattled president yet another headache.
Days could be numbered for President Hassan Rouhani's ministers of oil, interior and education as he faces one tough challenge after another in the remaining half of his term in office.
Despite being dominated by pro-Reform camps largely aligned with the president's policies, the Iranian Parliament seems to be gearing up for a fresh battle against the Rouhani government, launching attacks from multiple directions. At least three impeachment bids are currently being closely pursued by lawmakers representing various factions.
Signatures have already been collected from hard-liners against influential Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh. The bid revolves around what those parliamentarians view as the old manager's failure to tackle fuel smuggling, "disinformation" regarding a recent controversial gasoline subsidy scheme and "dishonesty" about gasoline price jumps.
The Rouhani government has been under relentless fire and facing a legitimacy crisis since Nov. 15, when it announced a contentious gasoline subsidy-cut plan that included higher prices. The plan threw the country into several days of chaos and violent protests that according to the latest Amnesty International report left at least 143 protesters dead. To contain the fast-spreading flames, the Iran Security Council chaired by the country's interior minister imposed a massive nationwide internet shutdown. One week after the protests broke out, connectivity to fixed-line wifi networks started to be restored but mobile internet remained almost entirely out of service on Nov. 26.
