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| Masoud Pezeshkian |
Masoud Pezeshkian, a member of the Iranian parliament representing Tabriz, has criticized the country's governance system and the first year of Ebrahim Raisi's administration.
In an interview with the Khabaronline website, the Tabriz representative in Iran’s parliament and former Health Minister under President Mohammad Khatami criticized the centralized control from Tehran over provincial governance. He stated, "We sit in Tehran and interfere in the affairs of cities, which is a governance problem."
According to the MP, in many countries, ministries are structured so that provinces are managed by provincial officials, and the central government does not interfere in local affairs.
Pezeshkian called for increased authority for provinces, saying, "Provinces and cities should be given authority, and accountability should be demanded based on those mandates."
He also severely criticized Ebrahim Raisi's government for its approach to managing the country, arguing that the current process does not constitute proper governance. "Governance means delegating authority and following up on the responsibilities assigned," he added.
Iran's political system is based on a unitary government, where many decisions, large and small, are made in the capital and communicated to the provinces. This system has often been criticized by provincial governors and officials. For example, East Azerbaijan Governor Abedin Khorram, during a meeting attended by the Interior Minister, criticized the limitations on his authority and called for increased powers for provincial administration. Similarly, the former governor of East Azerbaijan under Rouhani’s administration had previously criticized these restrictions, likening governors to "employees."
This is not the first time the former Health Minister has criticized Iran’s centralized government system. In a 2018 interview with local media, he discussed the necessity of managing the country through a provincial governance model. His remarks at the time triggered reactions in some newspapers and news websites. He argued that his proposal aimed to address the issue of uneven development in the country’s regions and curb corruption.
The Ghanoon newspaper published an article titled "Promoting Ethnicism Under the Pretext of Federalism," accusing Masoud Pezeshkian of advancing ethnic-centric agendas.
Pezeshkian, who is associated with Iran's reformist movement, criticized the governance approach of Ebrahim Raisi, who, after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has undertaken the most provincial visits among Iranian presidents. He stated, "The government creates hope among the people through visits to provinces, but the reality is that the government has no money."
He compared the number of provincial visits by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ebrahim Raisi, noting that Ahmadinejad issued more decrees than the current administration. However, he added that many projects remain incomplete due to financial constraints.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Təbrizli deputat vilayətlərə məxsus səlahiyyətlərin artırılmasını tələb edir