The appointment of Hossein Forouzan as the Secretary of the Supreme Council of Commercial-Industrial and Special Economic Free Zones has once again revived old debates about the distribution of managerial positions within the government structure and the influence of political, electoral, and regional relations on the appointment of managers. Forouzan, who was previously the CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Maku Free Zone Organization in Hassan Rouhani's government, is now in a position that directly impacts the policy-making and performance of the country's free zones.
The Role of Political Relations in Appointments
Critics of this appointment consider Forouzan's regional proximity and political connections with Masoud Pezeshkian as one of the factors influencing his return to one of the most important managerial positions in the free zones. They point to the collaborations and connections formed during Pezeshkian's parliamentary and electoral activities. If such relations have played a role in the selection of the new secretary, the government must explain the extent to which "managerial competence" and political and regional relations contributed to this appointment.
The importance of this question increases when Forouzan, in this short period of presence in the secretariat, has entered the management structure of this organization with the mission of "revitalizing and transforming free zones"; a mission that, according to the Minister of Economy's decree, also includes monitoring the performance of the zones and interacting with the CEOs of the free zone organizations.
Forouzan's Managerial Record
But the main issue is Forouzan's own record. He managed the Maku Free Zone for years, and now his critics are raising questions about the performance during that period and some of the appointments and managerial decisions made at that time. Therefore, before Forouzan takes up the banner of fighting corruption or reforming the management of free zones, he must provide clear and documented answers about his managerial record in Maku and the ambiguities raised by critics.
This question is also important regarding the composition of the new secretariat team. If, as some critics claim, some of the advisors and personnel close to Forouzan during his management of Maku have once again gathered around the new secretary of the free zones, it is necessary to transparently announce their backgrounds, selection process, and appointment criteria.
The issue of Forouzan's electoral disqualification is also part of this political record. He had previously announced that his qualification was not approved based on "the second part of clause one of Article 28 of the Election Law" and objected to this decision. Although at that time, Azerbaijani political activists revealed that corruption files attributed to Forouzan during his management of Maku were a significant factor in his disqualification.
Another issue is Forouzan's insistence on repeating the claim of close connections with security agencies, which during his management of Maku also led to threats against his critics through security agencies. This time too, Forouzan, in these intense sessions during the early days of his presence in the secretariat, has once again insisted on these connections to, according to informed sources, try to silence any criticism of himself at the start of his management path with intimidation and security threats.