Iranian parliament defies Ahmadinejad on controversial bill

Speaker of Iran's Parliament, Ali Larijani

Speaker of Iran’s parliament Ali Larijani announced that the parliament will not reconsider the bill on government subsidies and the current passed law is completely viable..

According to Mehr News Agency Larijani said the parliament is against a “leap” and in “cases when we are not fully clear of the all the dimensions, it is best not to make sudden moves.”

These comments come after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the subsidies bill altered by the parliament cannot be put into effect and called for a public poll to prove his point.

The economic advisers of the parliament challenged Ahmadinejad’s comments and declared that they are ready to argue the matter in a public debate.

Yesterday, Head of the Economic Commission of the Parliament, Arsalan Fathipour announced that they are in the process of discussing the matter with a number of MPs in order to address the needs of the government. But Ali Larijani’s declaration today that the parliament’s decision is final seems to close the door on further compromises.

Larijani adds that the subsidies bill should be put into effect through a five year plan so that its outcome can be reviewed after the first year.

Deputy First Speaker of the Parliament, Mohammadreza Bahonar also told ILNA that by not putting the subsidies bill into effect the government is in “violation” of the law. He also added that the parliament sees no need in reconsidering the bill.

Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader called on the parliament yesterday to cooperate with the government in the matter.

In the past months, the government and the parliament have been at odds over this bill, and the parliament has reduced the government’s estimated income of $40 billion from stopping public subsidies to $20 billion.

Now that the Guardian Council has approved the bill, the government is bound by the parliament’s decision.