November 19, 2021
President Raisi’s second nominee for education minister, in what appears to be in part an act of displeasure with Raisi’s inactivity as president.
Of 260 lawmakers present, 140 opposed Raisi’s candidate, Masud Fayazi, while 115 voted in favor and five abstained. That gave Fayazi only 44.2 percent support, which was at least better than Raisi’s first nominee, Hossain Baghgoli, a relative of Raisi’s wife, who got only 26.5 percent support in August, among the worst levels in the history of the regime.
The education minister oversees K-12 education, not higher education.
The Majlis displeasure with Raisi revealed itself the previous week when Speaker Moham-mad-Baqer Qalibaf announced Fayazi’s nomination November 9. Lawmakers drowned out the speaker with their shouts of disapproval. Given that few knew anything about Fayazi at that time, the anger appeared aimed at the president, not his nominee.
Raisi attended the Majlis session that voted on Fayazi November 16 and said he and colleagues had interviewed Fayazi and rated him an excellent candidate. Raisi’s strong defense of Fayazi and his presence in the chamber to back his candidate made the defeat even more damaging for Raisi.
Fayazi’s critics highlighted alleged discrepancies in his career, suggesting he taught in a university before getting a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering that took him 15 years to complete. They suggested he had taken nine years to achieve a master’s degree in Islamic law without getting “full accreditation.” They disputed his doctorate and said he had never taught in a K-12 school or been a school principal.
Most MPs sitting on the Majlis Education Committee opposed Fayazi. In a statement read out in the Majlis, they said Fayazi had no experience teaching in state-run schools. The statement said Fayazi only had experience in research activities, especially at the Majlis Research Center. It said his plans as presented to the Majlis listed “priorities” that should be pursued at the Education Ministry but didn’t suggest solutions. “There is no reassuring record of his activities in the Ministry of Education.”
In his speech to the Majlis, Raisi disputed charges of nepotism – based on Fayazi being a relative of Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani – and argued that it was unjust to ignore a person’s achievements because of any connections they might have. The president suggested that the nomination was based on “God’s approval … proven to me as a jurist.”
Rejection of Raisi’s second nominee suggests the conservative majority is not willing to grant the president unconditional support. Iranian media already proclaim “the end of the honeymoon” with many Principleists expressing irritation with Raisi’s lack of plans to deal with multiple crises despite more than three months in office.