TEHRAN – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose disputed re-election plunged the nation into its worst crisis since the Islamic revolution, unveils his cabinet on Wednesday (today) facing a dogged opposition and even challenges from within his own hardline support base.
Ahmadinejad already announced on Sunday that he planned to have at least three women ministers in his 21-member government, which would be a first in the 30-year existence of the Islamic republic.But some of his proposed cabinet appointments have already run into objections from MPs, who have complained that Ahmadinejad needs to consult them more and ensure his ministers have the right experience and credentials.Ahmadinejad had come under fire during his first tenure for frequently reshuffling the cabinet, sacking 10 ministers and two central bank chiefs and retaining inexperienced ministers.Many of his cabinet changes were interpreted as a way for the hardliner to increase his influence over ministries by getting rid of people who disagreed with his policies.His position has been shaken by the continuing opposition protests to what they say was his rigged re-election in June and a dispute with his own conservative supporters which has underscored rifts among the ruling elite.Ahmadinejad’s new four-year term is also expected to see Iran remain on a collision course with the West, particularly over its nuclear drive and its crackdown against the opposition in the post-election tumult.Among the top jobs, Ahmadinejad said he will name Heydar Moslehi, a former representative of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the volunteer Basij militia, as intelligence minister.Manoucherhr Mottaki is tipped to stay at the foreign ministry, the Mehr news agency reported, quoting ‘unnamed informed sources’.Interior minister Sadeq Mahsouli, an old Revolutionary Guard commander, will move to the defence minister in a swap with Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, it said.Ahmadinejad on Sunday said that the main criteria for joining his new team were ‘morality and commitment, efficiency as well as convergence and spirit of co-operation,’ adding that there would also be younger people in the cabinet.He has pledged that his new government will work to improve the economy, promote social justice and crack down on corruption.His line-up faces a confidence vote before the 290-member parliament on August 30, but it may not be smooth sailing.Among his women nominees, the choice of Fatemeh Ajorlou for the welfare and social security ministry is likely to stir controversy because of her alleged support for Abbas Palizdar, an Ahmadinejad supporter who was jailed for accusing several senior clerics, including former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and their children of corruption.He has also named Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi for the health ministry and pledged to pick at least one more woman.But Salman Zaker, a cleric and member of parliament’s judicial commission, said Ahmadinejad might ‘face trouble’ within the rural heartland over his appointment of women.His choice of Moslehi at the intelligence ministry also raised concern.’According to the law, the candidate for the post of the intelligence minister has to be a mojtahed (sufficiently qualified in Islamic theology), but the president’s choice lacks it,’ the deputy head of parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee said.Ahmadinejad said that he will keep Ali Akbar Mehrabian at the industry ministry and Shamseddin Hosseini as economy minister.Mehrabian, who is aged under 40, faced difficulties securing parliament’s vote of confidence due to his young age and lack of experience when he was first appointed in an October 2007 reshuffle.Iranian media reported that he has a court conviction relating to the theft of a patent which was said to have been annulled on the day of his nomination.- Nampa-AFP
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