Tehran, May 28 (IANS) Iran opened the new session of its parliament on Saturday, the 10th since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, with the aim to improve the economic situation in the country.
The new deputies were elected in the two rounds of legislative elections on February 26 and April 29, when reformists and moderate candidates, allies of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, gained control over parliament, Efe news reported.
The opening ceremony was attended by members of the Iranian government headed by Rouhani, Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, the Secretary of the Guardians Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati and other senior figures, including former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, as well as a large number of foreign journalists, which is unusual in Iran.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the most important political and religious figure in the Islamic Republic, was not present, but sent a message to the MPs, in which he stressed that the priorities of the new legislators should be to foster the "economy of resistance" and defending "Islamic culture".
Meanwhile, Rouhani stressed that parliament is "the manifestation of public supervision and people's sovereignty," noting that Iran needs investments "to witness an economic growth."
The 290-seat parliament includes 121 moderate deputies or reformists, 83 conservatives, while the remaining seats were won by the candidates of independent lists with various affiliations.
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