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 DUBAI 00000492 001.2 OF 002 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. DUBAI 00000492 002.2 OF 002 ¶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