Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.24
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
The Iranian parliament approved today general outlines of a proposal about relocating the capital, Tehran, to another city, the Mehr News Agency reported on December 24.
The proposal was approved despite the fact that the administration has opposed. The parliament speaker has even said that the proposal is against the Constitution.
110 MPs voted in favor, 67 voted against, and 10 abstained.
In November, the judicial committee of the parliament approached the presidency for a green light on a draft bill to relocate the Iranian capital to another city, probably Tabriz.
The lawmakers cite intolerable congestion in Tehran and also the city's precarious location in an area prone to strong earthquakes.
Today's population of Greater Tehran is at over 15 million.
Edited by C.N.