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Iran parliament backs Ahmadinejad cabinet changes
TEHRAN
Petroleumworld.com 11 15 07
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday won parliamentary approval for new oil and industry ministers, appointments seen as increasing his control over hotly controversial economic policies.
The conservative-dominated parliament overwhelmingly approved Gholam Hossein Nozari as oil minister, while Ali Akbar Mehrabian was confirmed as industry minister by a slightly slimmer margin.
Both men are seen as closer allies of the president than the previous incumbents, although Nozari, 53, is above all an oil ministry insider who is still head of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).
Mehrabian, 38, is a rising star who is a close confidant and protege of the president. However Ahmadinejad angrily dismissed rumours that the new industry minister is his nephew.
Parliament approved Nozari's appointment with 217 votes for, 20 against and nine abstentions. Mehrabian was confirmed with 174 votes in favour, 49 against and 18 abstentions.
The two men had already been serving as caretaker ministers since August.
Defending the appointments before the vote, Ahmadinejad lauded his young industry minister, saying he had became acquainted with Mehrabian at his university of Elm-o-Sanat (Science and Industry) in Tehran.
"Mehrabian is a specialist, a capable and religious person," Ahmadinejad told parliament. "He is not related to me in any way."
"He is a gifted young man and shows that the third generation of the revolution has something to say."
Opposing the choice, MP Ali Sarafraz Yazdi said that while there was no doubt about Mehrabian's piety he was "a little bit young and a little bit inexperienced" to run such an important ministry.
Of the new oil minister, Ahmadinejad said: "Nozari has spent most of his working life in the oil ministry and people accept him."
"The blood group of these men is the same as the blood group of the parliament," he added.
Ahmadinejad sacked Ali Reza Tahmasebi as industry minister and Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh as oil minister in August in a surprise reshuffle of his economic team.
Both the fired ministers castigated the government's economic policies after their departure with Hamaneh warning of a "catastrophe" in the energy sector if consumption was not brought under control.
Some opponents have blasted Ahmadinejad for parachuting allies into key positions and rejecting the talents of experts who do not share his political views.
But the president dismissed the charges: "It is the right of the president to arrange his team based on the circumstances."
The reshuffle came amid criticism of the government from reformists and moderate conservatives alike for its handling of the economy, in particular inflation which has surged in recent months.
Ahead of crucial parliamentary elections on March 14, there has been an intensifying of domestic political activity which has seen heavyweight figures like former president Mohammad Khatami criticise Ahmadinejad.
Iran has been enjoying revenue windfalls from the high price of crude oil, but Ahmadinejad's opponents have accused him of frittering the income away on highly visible infrastructure projects promised during provincial trips.
The president's critics say such spending has fuelled inflation and caused money supply growth to rocket to levels of around 40 percent. The government insists it is doing all it can to keep inflation in check.
Story by Farhad Pouladi from AFP
AFP 141217 GMT 11 07
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