Majlis warned against hindering govt.

A senior Iranian cleric has hailed the media and popular support for the country’s economic reform plan, urging lawmakers not to overlook the government’s services.

“Some people were looking forward to instigating a new sedition after this law (subsidy elimination) went into effect, but people perceptively accepted this [targeted subsidy] plan for they found it to be in their interest,” IRNA quoted Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati as saying on Friday.

Despite assurances by Iranian officials, the plan to gradually phase out state subsidies and replace them with cash handouts, initially provoked a controversy in the country amid warnings about a sharp hike in prices and a shrink of people’s purchasing power.

Ayatollah Jannati praised unions and production units for their contribution to the implementation of the economic reform plan and appreciated their cooperation with the government for containing prices.

Tehran’s interim Friday Prayers leader, however, criticized lawmakers for holding regular questioning sessions for cabinet ministers.

“Summoning [ministers] to Majlis (the parliament) and wasting their (the ministers’) time is not good for anyone and lawmakers must pay attention to this matter,” he argued.

Ayatollah Jannati also called the legislative body not to fail to see the government’s contributions to the country’s progress and avoid hindering its plans.