Only Majlis is in charge of making laws: Iranian MP

TEHRAN, July 5 (MNA) – MP Ali Mottahari has said that the parliament is the only institution which constitutionally is responsible for approving legislations.

Based on the constitution the duty of the Expediency Council (EC) and the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution (SCIR) is ‘policy-making’, Mottahari told the Mehr News Agency on Sunday.

The two bodies should refrain from making laws since the compatibility of their decisions with the criteria of Islam and the Constitution are not studied by the Guardian Council, he noted.

The Supreme Leader in a meeting with the members of Majlis Cultural Commission elucidated the duties of the SCIR, Majlis, and government as being respectively responsible for policy making in cultural affairs, ratifying laws, and implementing laws, Mottahari stated.

If the EC and SCIR want to make laws this means that the Islamic Republic needs a Senate in addition to the current consultative assembly, he explained.

At different times governments have used the SCIR as their backyard to make decisions based on their own interests without the involvement of the Guardian Council, Mottahari lamented.

The mechanism is in fact used to circumvent the parliament, he added.

Commenting on the Majlis decision concerning the endowment of Azad University properties, Mottahari said the Guardian Council has rejected Majlis decision and Majlis should now review its decision.

If the Majlis and the Guardian Council cannot decide on the case, it would be passed up to the Expediency Council, Mottahari added.