IRAN: AHMADINEJAD'S COMPLETED CABINET AGAIN INCLUDES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RPO DUBAI 000492

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2019
TAGS: PGOV IR
SUBJECT: IRAN: AHMADINEJAD'S COMPLETED CABINET AGAIN INCLUDES
CONTROVERSIAL MAHSULI

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CLASSIFIED BY: Alan Eyre, Director, Iran Regional Presence
Office, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

1. (C) SUMMARY: The Majlis on November 15 confirmed the final
three nominees for President Ahmadinejad's cabinet. After his
initial three selections were rejected in September, on November
8 Ahmadinejad nominated Sadeq Mahsuli as Welfare and Social
Security Minister, Majid Namju as Energy Minister, and Hamid
Reza Hajibabaii as Education Minister. Mahsuli is a long-time
Ahmadinejad ally: the two were university classmates and served
together in the IRGC. He was a senior advisor to Ahmadinejad
during his first term before taking over the Interior Ministry
in November 2008, in which capacity Mahsuli was responsible for
conducting the June 12 presidential election. The election
turmoil, and Mahsuli's purported immense wealth, prompted Majlis
opposition to his nomination as Welfare Minister and his
confirmation vote, with 149 in favor and 95 opposed, was the
closest of the three. Namju has an IRGC background and
Hajibabaii appears to be a loyal Ahmadinejad backer. Both have
experience in their designated fields and were easily confirmed.
END SUMMARY.



Mahsuli Confirmed as Welfare and Social Security Minister




2. (C) The Majlis approved Sadeq Mahsuli's nomination as
Minister of Welfare and Social Security with 149 votes in favor,
95 against, and 21 abstentions. Mahsuli has little background in
this field and owes his nomination to his long relationship with
Ahmadinejad. The two were classmates at Science and Industry
University and then served together in the IRGC in the 1980s,
when Mahsuli was the President's superior. Mahsuli was an early
supporter-and reported substantial financial backer-of
Ahmadinejad's 2005 presidential campaign. He was rewarded with a
nomination for Oil Minister, though decided Majlis opposition
derailed his bid prior to it coming to a vote. Ahmadinejad then
named him a senior advisor, where he served until November 2008,
when he was nominated and confirmed as Interior Minister.
Mahsuli, in that capacity, was responsible for conducting the
June 12 presidential election.




3. (C) Mahsuli received fewer affirmative votes from Majlis than
the other two nominees, a reflection of his checkered history
with the Majlis. Mahsuli's bid for Oil Minister in 2005 was
derailed by his lack of experience in the oil sector and rumors
of the wealth he attained, perhaps illicitly, after leaving the
IRGC; the Majlis at the time dubbed him the 'billionaire
general.' Concerns regarding his wealth were again raised when
he was nominated last year as Interior Minister. This summer,
Majlis members, including Majlis Speaker Larijani, criticized
Mahsuli for the turmoil sparked by the presidential election and
52 deputies signed a letter summoning him to the Majlis for
questioning - a request he ignored. His nomination for the
Welfare Ministry was met with jeers on the Majlis floor and an
MP speculated that his bid would be rejected as he knew of 100
MPs opposed to the nomination. This estimate of the opposition
was roughly correct and there were again complaints regarding
his wealth but it was insufficient to block his confirmation.
Mahsuli actually received 11 more votes from the Majlis this
year compared to the vote confirming him as Interior Minister in
November 2008.



Namju, Hajibabaii Confirmed as Energy, Education Ministers




4. (C) Majid Namju was confirmed as the Energy Minister by a
vote of 210 to 26 with 19 abstentions. Namju's IRGC pedigree and
experience in the Energy Ministry likely account for his
selection, though his ties to Ahmadinejad are not clear.
According to a biography released by the Energy Ministry, Namju
is from Kerman province and received engineering degrees from
Shahid Bahonar University. He has held a few positions in the
IRGC, including military positions and construction and
engineering posts. He was elected to the Kerman city council in
2003, where he presumably served until 2006, although the dates
of his tenure are not clear. He became a deputy in the Energy
Ministry and therein served as head of Iran's Water and
Wastewater Company. Ahmadinejad appointed Namju caretaker of
the ministry on September 6 after the Majlis rejected his
initial energy nominee.


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5. (C) Hamid Reza Hajibabaii was confirmed as Minister of
Education with 217 votes in favor, 33 against, and 13
abstentions. Hajibabaii has education-related experience,
supported Ahmadinejad's re-election, and has been a vocal
champion of Iran's nuclear rights. He has degrees in theology
and subsequently became a teacher and worked on education issues
in his home province of Hamadan before his election to the
Majlis in 1996. As a member of the Majlis, Hajibabaii has been
outspoken in his support of Iran's rights, headed the cultural
faction in the Majlis, and has been a member of the Majlis
presidium. He declared his support for Ahmadinejad's
re-election and was one of only two presidium members to attend
a coordination meeting with Ahmadinejad in October that most
Majlis members skipped.




6. (C) COMMENT: The Majlis confirmation of Mahsuli returns one
of Ahmadinejad's most trusted lieutenants to his cabinet. That
Mahsuli was not nominated earlier for a cabinet position was
somewhat surprising, especially as he was likely instrumental in
Ahmadinejad's 're-election' and reported to be among the
candidates for both Defense Minister and Iran's permanent
representative to the United Nations. His new post as Welfare
Minister would seem to be a step down, but Ahmadinejad's speech
to the Majlis on November 15 suggests the Ministry of Welfare
may be involved in distributing the cash handouts once the
subsidy reform bill is passed and implemented. If so, Mahsuli
would oversee the re-distribution of billions of dollars,
perhaps explaining why Ahmadinejad wants a trusted figure there.
The two other new appointees have the credentials for their
posts as well as attributes common to Ahmadinejad appointments.
Namju has ties to the IRGC and Hajibabaii, for his part, appears
to be a loyal Ahmadinejad ally. END COMMENT.
EYRE