TEHRAN – Mohammad Reza Aref, a senior reformist who secured the heaviest share of public backing in the metropolis of Tehran in the February parliamentary elections, said on Monday that employment and livelihood are the major challenges the country is grappling with.

“The most concerned issue of the people and country is employment and livelihood,” the former vice president said on Monday, speaking to a gathering attended by heads of different political factions and a number of lawmakers-elect.

Aref, who is seen to be the main rival to incumbent Parliament speaker Ali Larijani who won a re-election in the religious city of Qom, had earlier said he would form a bloc named “Hope” in the next parliament which will start its work on May 28.

Aref also said he saw the Hope bloc and moderate and independent MPs in the same camp.

The reformist figure had also vowed to seek change of tack in the upcoming parliament, citing people’s hope for a different parliament.

Earlier, Aref had called for more harmony between the upcoming parliament and government to address issues such as unemployment, inflation, etc.

AK/PA