Motion to summon president not credible: Iranian administration officials

TEHRAN,Nov.6(MNA) – Some administration officials said that a recently approved motion to summon President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to parliament lacks legal credibility because the number of signatures on it has fallen short of the threshold, MP Reza Ashtiani told the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency on Monday. According to the Majlis Presiding Board, the motion had the signatures of 77 MPs on it when it was read out at the parliament on Sunday, but Ashtiani said, “The administration officials who have been presented with the motion have announced that the motion to question the president has the signatures of 73 MPs on it and is not credible.” He also said, “According to the bylaw, a motion to question the president should have the signatures of more than 74 MPs on it. And because four MPs have said that they had withdrawn their signatures before the Majlis Presiding Board acknowledged the receipt of the motion, the motion had been received and notified to Ahmadinejad with 73 signatures, so it is not credible.” A text detailing questions for President Ahmadinejad was read out during an open session of the Majlis on Sunday. The questions focus on the sharp drop in the exchange rate for Iran’s national currency, the rial, against hard currencies and the problems facing the agricultural sector. The MPs who signed the motion say the Ahmadinejad administration has not properly controlled the foreign currency market. According to the law, Ahmadinejad has one month to respond to the summons.