Rouhani presents budget bill in raucous parliament session
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani presented his government's budget bill, which includes several belt-tightening measures in anticipation of US sanctions, to a chamber of furious lawmakers.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani presented a budget bill meant to dodge the impacts of "tyrannical US sanctions" to the country's parliament Dec. 25. The proposed $112 billion budget will cover the upcoming Iranian year running from March 21, 2019, to March 20, 2020.
The president's speech in defense of the bill was marred, however, by a group of lawmakers representing the oil-rich but underdeveloped southwestern Khuzestan province. The parliamentarians gathered in front of the podium, disrupting Rouhani's speech before they were asked by Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani to exercise restraint and let the session proceed.
