Moderate MPs Should Team Up Against Radicals

Tehran, Oct 6, IRNA - 'Iran Daily' on Monday criticizing the stand of radicals in the Majlis against the government of President Hassan Rouhani, pointed out that the people expect the Majlis speaker not to allow radicals to obstruct the government’s activities and impeach ministers over unimportant issues. The English-language daily was referring to the radicals in the Majlis who have launched a smear campaign against President Rouhani's government since he took office in August 2013 by dragging his ministers to the legislative chamber for grilling and impeaching. These elements will not give in and will continue their hostile attitude as long as they are in the Majlis. They are actually revealing their true colors to the people. Such measures, though troublesome for the government, will at the end of the day backfire and lead to the ousting of radicals from the parliament in the next elections, believes the daily in its Opinion column. If the radicals review their performance from people’s point of view, they will stop their campaign against the government. The impeachment of the former science minister badly dented their image among the pubic. In fact, grilling or impeaching ministers has nothing to do with their performances. Radicals are taking their revenge from the president and they just aim to throw a wrench in the work of the government. If President Rouhani turns Iran into a global power, these lawmakers will again try to undermine the government, wrote the paper, adding that since the government is not from their league, extremists prefer its failure. They only seek to secure their own political gains rather than national interests. A glaring example is their undue hue and cry over an interim nuclear deal with the P5+1 which suspended parts of anti-Iran sanctions and prevented further embargos on the country, pointed out the daily. The president is strongly urged to continue the course he had chosen and remain committed to the pledges he made to the people during his election campaign in defiance of radicals’ measures. The government should not budge on its stances and yield to the radicals’ unreasonable demands. Rather, it should fiercely confront them when it sees they are not hindering its work. President Rouhani has public support, therefore he should not allow radicals to impose their will on the country, for which the nation has already paid the price, suggested the paper. Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani is a moderate figure. He has made efforts to stop radical lawmakers at the legislature but he is expected to do more in this respect. Moderate forces outnumber radicals in the Majlis, noted the daily. However, since they are not organized, they fail to gain the upper hand and radicals manage to push them aside in cases like the impeachment of the science minister. **1425