Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will face a tough battle to win Parliament’s approval for his Cabinet after lawmakers signalled they were likely to reject several proposed ministers.
”Those nominated by the president for government posts must have sufficient expertise and experience, otherwise a great deal of the country’s energy would be wasted,” state broadcaster IRIB quoted Parliament speaker Ali Larijani as saying on Thursday.
Vice-Speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar, a pragmatic conservative who has been critical of the hardline president in the past, suggested up to five members of Ahmadinejad’s 21-strong Cabinet risked being voted down by Parliament. He did not give names.
The outcome will be a test of how secure Ahmadinejad’s grip is on power in the major oil exporter after his disputed re-election in June led to the worst unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and exposed divisions within the ruling elite. At least 26 people were killed in street protests.
The nominated ministers include Commerce Minister Massoud Mirkazemi as the new oil minister, a key position as crude sales account for most state revenue. Mirkazemi is seen as an Ahmadinejad ally, but has little known oil industry experience.
Several nominees — Mirkazemi and the intelligence and interior ministers — have a background with the elite Revolutionary Guards, as does Ahmadinejad. Seen as fiercely loyal to the values of the Islamic Republic, the force’s influence appears to have grown since he came to power four years ago.
Another conservative member of Parliament, Javad Karimi Qodousi, predicted 80% of the ministers would be approved, the semi-official Fars News Agency said.
The Parliament is dominated by conservatives, but some of Ahmadinejad’s supporters have abandoned him after the disputed vote, even though he enjoys the backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s highest authority. Moderates in the assembly see Ahmadinejad’s government as illegitimate.
Lawmakers had urged Ahmadinejad not to nominate inexperienced candidates.
If a minister is rejected, Ahmadinejad must put forward another candidate. The Kayhan newspaper quoted a parliamentary spokesp0erson as saying voting would start on August 30.
Televised speech
Among the nominees, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki would retain his job and three women would become ministers for health, social welfare and education. It would be the first time a woman has become a minister in the Islamic Republic.
State media said Ahmadinejad would deliver a televised speech after 16.30GMT, postponed from Wednesday, to introduce his Cabinet and talk about its goals.
”Ahmadinejad has made unexpected nominations and appointments including to the Oil Ministry in the past, favouring close aides over candidates with relevant experience,” said Gala Riani of IHS Global Insight.
Analysts expect Parliament to eventually approve a Cabinet, but a stormy process could deal a blow to Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad failed to get his first three choices for oil minister appointed in 2005 because of Parliament opposition.
The new oil minister faces the challenge of boosting oil and gas output under United States and United Nations sanctions, imposed because of a dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme. The West suspects Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons. Iran says its programme is for peaceful power generation.
Ahmadinejad was re-elected for a second four-year term in the June 12 vote. Reformist candidates say the poll was rigged.
The election and its turbulent aftermath has further strained relations with the West. US President Barack Obama’s offer of engagement with Iran if it ”unclenched its fist” ran into trouble after Tehran accused the US and other Western nations of inciting the protests.
One member of Parliament, Ali Karimi Firouzjani, hailed the nomination of women ministers as ”a new chapter in our revolution”.
But campaigner Sussan Tahmasebi told Reuters: ”From the history of at least two of the three women nominees they are not advocates for women’s rights.” — Reuters