Ahmadinejad's Third Oil Minister Nominee Rejected

TurkishPress.com:

Iran's parliament rejected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's third nominee for the crucial post of oil minister. Earlier Ahmadinejad defended his nominee in a last-ditch bid to stop parliament from again rejecting his choice.

Since being presented, Seyed Mohsen Tassaloti has been the target of rumours over his personal life and fortune. Majlis deputies have also questioned whether he is fit for such a key portfolio.

"The government respects the choice of parliament, but unjustly accusing a brother on an unknown Internet site... is not fair," the president told deputies.

Tassaloti has been accused of being a millionaire whose family spends most of its time abroad. Although his previous job was head of Iran's largest petrochemical zone, he lacks direct experience in oil and the oil ministry. READ MORE

The nominee has dismissed criticism as "fabrications", but many deputies appear unimpressed.

Ahmadinejad's previous nominees had also been severely criticised for lacking any experience in the oil sector, which accounts for 80 percent of Iran's export revenues.

In August MPs in the conservative-controlled parliament refused to give their backing to Ahmadinejad's first choice on the grounds he was unqualified. The president was dealt another embarrassing blow earlier this month when deputies forced him to withdraw his second nominee.

The spat has exposed divisions within Iran's right-wing camp, split between radical and more pragmatic conservatives, and has also delayed Ahmadinejad's populist promise to clean up a ministry he argues is controlled by a "mafia".

Analysts say the problems have also hurt investor confidence and could also damage Iran's standing within OPEC. Iran is OPEC's second biggest producer.