Title: Parliament Holds Government to Account: A Year of Challenges and Collaboration Under the Seventh Development Plan
In a significant session focused on political oversight and national progress, the Iranian Parliament conducted a thorough review of the government’s first-year performance in implementing the country’s Seventh Five-Year Development Plan. The hearings underscored a shared commitment to overcoming challenges through constructive dialogue between the legislative and executive branches.
A Framework for Scrutiny and Dialogue
The parliamentary floor was set for a day of detailed accountability, with ministers’ seats arranged directly facing the representatives. This setup highlighted the session’s core objective: a transparent and responsive review process. Ministers from various sectors, including Roads and Urban Development, attended to defend the administration’s one-year record, presenting their cases directly to the lawmakers.
Navigating a Complex Economic Landscape
A central theme of the discussions was the challenging economic context in which the plan was launched. Gholamreza Tajgardoon, Head of the Parliament’s Plan and Budget Commission, provided crucial context, stating that the plan’s draft was based on assumptions of “relative political calm and reduced sanction pressures.” However, its execution began under markedly different circumstances, including intensified sanctions and increased transaction costs.
Tajgardoon emphasized that achieving the plan’s goals—such as an average annual 8% growth rate—requires “stability in decision-making, coherence in monetary and fiscal policies, and a reduction in external pressures.” He called for continued perseverance from both the government and the parliament to steer the economy toward the plan’s objectives despite these headwinds.
Measuring First-Year Implementation
The review included a quantitative assessment of progress. Peshman Pashmchizadeh, Deputy for Parliamentary Supervision, reported that out of 2,515 mandates for executive bodies, 32.6% were implemented within the legal timeframe, and 7.5% were fulfilled after the deadline. This leaves approximately 60% of the first-year mandates yet to be fully realized, highlighting the scale of the task ahead.
A Call for Collaborative Problem-Solving
In his address to the assembly, First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref outlined the government’s strategy, which has been focused on “maintaining calm and relative stability in various sectors.” He pointed to inherited debts from the previous administration as a significant factor affecting recent events, necessitating payments to facilitate new imports.
Aref called for a collaborative spirit, urging parliament to work with the government to amend certain clauses of the development plan. He specifically highlighted Article 119, which he stated requires 46,000 “Hamte” (a unit of financial resource) for execution, a figure that demands joint planning to secure the necessary funding mechanisms.
Addressing Sector-Specific Hurdles
Criticism was not limited to macroeconomic policy. Malik Shariati, a principlist MP from Tehran and member of the Energy Commission, pointed to delays in establishing the Organization for Energy Optimization and Strategic Management, a key component of the plan. He attributed the holdup to obstructions from the Plan and Budget Organization and called on the President and First Vice President to expedite its approval.
A Commitment to Public Accountability
Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf affirmed the importance of these review sessions, describing them as an “essential” new practice. He stated that the ultimate beneficiaries of the development plan are the people and committed to discussing the proceedings with citizens. The aim, he said, is to identify and rectify shortcomings before the submission of next year’s budget bill, ensuring the plan stays on track for the benefit of all Iranians.
The session concluded with a tone of determined resolve, reflecting a consensus that while the path is fraught with challenges, collaborative governance is the key to navigating them successfully.