Iran comes to a head in the power struggle between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his conservative opponents. Parliament refused the choice of the sports minister proposed by the President. And the vice-foreign minister, a confidant of Ahmadinejad, resigned.
Against Vice Foreign Minister Mohammad Sharif was Maleksadeh of deputies from the ultra-conservative camp, impeachment proceedings were commenced because of corruption allegations. Maleksadeh denied the allegations. His resignation was accepted, the state news agency Fars reported on Tuesday.
Because it was the foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi not be given yet more suffering, Maleksadeh justified his resignation in a letter addressed to the Foreign Minister. He was a victim of manipulation and conniving are many injustices befall him, said Maleksadeh.
Victim of a power struggle
Apparently Maleksadeh came in the ongoing power struggle between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Parliament and the powerful clergy in the crossfire. He is considered a close ally of Ahmadinejad, Esfandiar Rahim Maschaei chief of staff, whose daughter married the son of the president is.
The ultra-conservative circles in Iran consider Maschaei as deviants, which could take after the end of Ahmadinejad’s term in office in 2013 to influence the formation of a new government. According to observers, is a favorite Maschaei Ahmadinejad for his successor.
Minister of Sport rejected
The Iranian president on Tuesday had to insert another serious setback. The Parliament rejected the first proposed by Ahmadinejad as the country’s sports minister Hamid Sajadi rejected candidates.
More than 55 percent of the deputies rejected the proposal to make the 43-year-old former Asian champion in cross country and representatives of the Iranian Organization for sports Sports Minister, as the news agency Fars reported on.
The move was a further signal of opposition to the president’s policies. Ahmadinejad called on the Parliament expressly to confirm the minister and the new ministry in the national interest.
(sda)
