Tariqat-Monfared wins vote of confidence as new Health Minister

Mohammad Hassan Tariqat-Monfared won the Iranian parliament’s (Majlis) vote of confidence as new Minister of Health and Medical Education on Sunday.

According to IRNA, he managed to get 113 votes in his favor out of a total 224 votes cast by the MPs in the Majlis open session this morning.
Out of the total votes, 99 were against Tariqat-Monfared and 12 others were abstained.
Earlier in the day, President Ahmadinejad attended the Majlis session to defend his nominee for the post.
Tariqat-Monfared was deputy to former health minister Marzieh Vahid-Dasjerdi who was the first female minister in Iran since the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
He was appointed by President Ahmadinejad as caretaker of the ministry on December 27, 2012 when Dastjerdi was dismissed from the post after three years.
Tariqat-Monfared was introduced to Majlis on March 9.