Iran's President Says Opportune Time for Structural Reforms

Financial Tribune - The reelected President Hassan Rouhani was in parliament on Tuesday to outline his plans for the next four years in office and defend the ministerial choices nominated to join his second Cabinet.

The centrist cleric, who won a 24-million-vote mandate in the May presidential poll, took the oath of office on August 5 and proposed his Cabinet nominees to the parliament for the vote of confidence three days later.

Replacing roughly half of his first Cabinet members, Rouhani showed his will to keep up the drive toward broadening Iran's international engagement and reforming the economy by injecting new blood.

The chief executive said his first government managed to take major steps to resolve some real challenges confronting the nation and Iran is now "more hopeful and capable" of tackling bigger challenges.

"Today, nobody talks about Iran's isolation and a global coalition against Tehran. Now, no one talks about economic turbulence and 40% inflation and decline in domestic production and halting the pace of job creation," ICANA quoted him as telling lawmakers on Tuesday.

The president said the next government will represent the whole Iranian nation, whether those who voted for him in the election or those who voted against, working to promote "freedom, calm, security and progress".

Rouhani said the relative stability in the economy and easing of tensions in Iran's foreign relations have prepared the ground for the economy to undergo structural reforms.

The president said his government is intent on undertaking the reforms, as Iran's oil revenues that have been the lifeblood of propping up the flagging economy have plunged sharply and there are no prospects for a hike in global oil prices in the near future.