MNA – Abbas Akhundi has received vote of confidence for the second time from Parliament which had been fervent in impeaching him.On Sunday’s afternoon session of the Parliament, MPs voted on impeachment; Akhundi received 176 Yeas, 74 Nays and 5 abstentions from a total of 257 MPs who cast their vote.

Akhundi is one of the rare ministers who survives two impeachment by an intransigent Parliament in impeaching him. President Rouhani’s cabinet has now been relieved from tensions of another rejection by the Parliament after earlier in the year, his 3 ministers were sacked by Parliament and he was on the loss of figures to nominate for the positions of Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, and Culture.

In October 2015, Akhundi was impeached for the first time but survived, securing a vote of confidence for the second time.

The criticism mounted on his alleged mismanagement culminated in Tabriz-Mashhad railroad incident where 48 passengers killed. The impeachment draft was signed primarily by 31 MPs mainly from Principlist faction of the Parliament.