Mahmoud Nili Ahmadabadi, President Rouhani’s nominee for the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, failed to win a vote of confidence from the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Wednesday.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that parliament did not find President Rouhani’s pick for the Ministry of Science qualified enough for the post.
The Islamic Consultative Assembly went into session on Wednesday to debate Nili’s credentials. He was rejected by MPs 160-79. Out of 246 ballots cast, there were seven abstentions.
Nili is the third candidate introduced by the eleventh government to take over the science ministry in more than a year.
Ja’far Mili-Monfared and Reza Faraji-Dana were Nili’s predecessors who shared the same fate. The former was rejected by parliament outright and Iran’s parliament withdrew its confidence vote from the latter ten months after endorsing him for the portfolio.
With the legislative rejection, the fate of the ministry still hangs in the air.
