Ahmadinejad 'sacks four Iran ministers'

[kpete]

Source: AFP

Ahmadinejad 'sacks four Iran ministers'
AFP

Sun Jul 26, 9:36 am ET

TEHRAN (AFP) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sacked four ministers just days before he is due to announce his new cabinet line-up, several local news agencies reported on Sunday.

Those sacked are Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi, Labour and Social Affairs Minister Mohammad Jahromi, Health Minister Kamran Baqeri Lankarani and Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie, the agencies said.

Ejeie was sacked "following a verbal quarrel between the intelligence minister and the president in Wednesday's cabinet meeting over the appointment of (Esfandiar Rahim) Mashaie," the Mehr news agency quoted an informed unnamed source as saying.


The Mehr agency also reported the sacking of the other three ministers.

Rahim Mashaie stepped down as first vice president on Saturday after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Ahmadinejad his decision to appoint his controversial aide as his new deputy would cause "division and frustration."


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090726/wl_mideast_afp/iranpoliticscabinet_20090726133730