1. Masud Gharahkhani is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party, who has been serving as the President of the Storting since 2021, and as a member of the Storting for Buskerud since 2017.
27 Facts About Masud Gharahkhani
1. 2.
Masud Gharahkhani previously served as a deputy member from 2009 to 2013.
3.
Masud Gharahkhani has been employed as secretary-general for the Buskerud Labour party.
4.
Masud Gharahkhani received a standing ovation at the Labour Party national convention in 2011 for his speech about his journey from Tehran to Drammen.
5.
Masud Gharahkhani eventually lost to popular incumbent Tore Opdal Hansen from the Conservative Party.
6.
Masud Gharahkhani's campaign was marred by speculation in the press about his marriage to a woman in Iran.
7.
On 24 November 2021, the Labour Party nominated Masud Gharahkhani to succeed Eva Kristin Hansen following her resignation after a parliamentary housing scandal.
8.
Masud Gharahkhani was formally elected the day after in a written vote.
9.
Masud Gharahkhani is the first person from an immigrant background to serve as Storting president, and second from an ethnic minority after Jo Benkow.
10.
Masud Gharahkhani demanded quicker results, and expanded the commission's mandate and to have them deliver their findings by next summer.
11.
Masud Gharahkhani called it "a right and fair signal to give", and received support from the parliamentary leaders in the Storting.
12.
Masud Gharahkhani expressed that it was right to do so until further.
13.
Masud Gharahkhani said that the rules should now be "crystal clear and not to misunderstand".
14.
Masud Gharahkhani further explained: "This means that if you own or rent a home that you utilise daily, within 40 kilometers of Oslo, then you are not entitled to commuter housing".
15.
On 4 January 2022, Masud Gharahkhani went into quarantine after his son had tested positive for COVID-19 and began remote working.
16.
Masud Gharahkhani expressed his support for the Arne campaign, which was inspired by the TV series Lykkeland, to promote gender equality and to call attention to gender inequality in top positions in working life.
17.
Masud Gharahkhani added that he had already sent a request for a meeting to the speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament.
18.
Masud Gharahkhani confirmed this, adding that a time for the speech had yet been determined, and that it was an honour that Zelenskyy had accepted.
19.
Masud Gharahkhani explained that it was because he wanted to take care of his family and to adjust to his new job.
20.
Masud Gharahkhani stated that Muslims should tolerate the message in Rushdie's book, The Satanic Verses.
21.
Masud Gharahkhani added that it would not mark the end of brutality by the regime.
22.
In June 2023, Masud Gharahkhani announced that a majority of the Storting presidency was in favour of countermeasures for privileges of MPs as a consequence from the ensuing parliamentary apartments inquiries, the Storting would be scrapping two privileges: commuter diet and vacation money.
23.
The Storting had decided to moderate other privileges, and Masud Gharahkhani stated that they were open to salary moderation.
24.
Masud Gharahkhani rejected an invitation from the Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana in December, to visit affected areas of Israel by the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.
25.
Masud Gharahkhani encouraged the council to withdraw the motion and reconsider it.
26.
Masud Gharahkhani expressed criticism towards the ongoing presidential election and that both candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, were cause for concern.
27.
Masud Gharahkhani married his wife Saloumeh "Sally" Abbasian in a private ceremony in Turkey in 2010.