Tehran – Iran’s hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, suffered another defeat Wednesday when the Iranian parliament rejected his third nominee for the sensitive leadership of the ministry of oil.
Mohsen Tassaloti, 51, a director of petrochemical development in southern Iran, received only 77 votes of 254 votes cast.
His opponents faulted him – as they did the other two nominees – for not having enough experience in the oil industry and for lacking the political influence to lead Iran’s interests as the second-largest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Tassaloti also was faulted by conservative deputies for supporting Ahmadinejad’s reformist rival, Mostafa Moin, during the presidential election in June.
“The vote Wednesday shows that parliament is distancing itself from President Ahmadinejad’s policies,” said Hamidreza Jalaipour, a sociologist and professor at Tehran University.
“Mr. Ahmadinejad thought parliament will eventually give in, but the parliament is not willing to surrender to such a situation,” he added, “and the friction between the two has become a deterrent force for any kind of progress in the past three months since he took office.”
This is the first time since the 1979 revolution that an Iranian president has faced such a hurdle. Ahmadinejad was legally required to name his minister within three months of taking office.
The speaker of parliament, Gholamali Hadad Adel, said the matter needs to be resolved by an upper body, the Guardian Council or the Expediency Council, since the ministry cannot remain without a minister longer than three months.