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Iran's parliament impeaches Ahmadinejad ally

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-11-05 09:31

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's parliament impeached a Cabinet minister on Tuesday after he admitted having a fake degree from Oxford University, in a vote widely seen as a defeat for hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Iran's Interior Minister Ali Kordan speaks during his impeachment proceedings in parliament in Tehran November 4, 2008. Parliamentarians last week backed a move to impeach Interior Minister Ali Kordan, seen as close to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, after he admitted a degree that he said had come from Oxford University was a fake. He said he had been duped. [Agencies]

The dismissal of Interior Minister Ali Kordan was the first high-profile confrontation between the new parliament and Ahmadinejad. It was seen a vote of no-confidence in the president and a sign that the leader's popularity is tumbling, even with his conservative allies.

The interior minister in Iran is a powerful position in charge of holding elections and local administrations throughout the country.

During Kordan's confirmation debate, numerous lawmakers argued he was unqualified for the post, some claiming that his Oxford degree was a fake. Kordan was approved August 5 by a relatively slim margin of around 160 of the 269 lawmakers present, a reflection of the concerns.

Kordan initially argued that his degree was real. The Interior Ministry put out a certificate, with an Oxford seal and dated June 2000, meant to prove its authenticity. It was riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes.

Oxford denied it had ever awarded an honorary doctorate of law to the minister, who then admitted the degree was fake.

Ahmadinejad defended Kordan, dismissing degrees in general as "torn paper" not necessary for serving the people.

The president was already under attack from both reformers and conservatives, who brought him to power but now complain he spends too much time on fiery anti-US rhetoric rather than managing the country.

Middle-class Iranians, who have seen their standard of living fall, often speak scornfully of his economic naivete. In July, he predicted oil prices would never fall below $100 per barrel.

Oil prices, however, have plunged during the global financial crisis and hovered Tuesday around $63 a barrel. Tehran's stock index last week plunged about 12 percent to its lowest close in years. And inflation is estimated at 27 percent or more.

Of the 247 lawmakers who attended Tuesday's open session, 188 voted against Kordan, including many hard-liners. Forty-five parliament members voted in favor of Kordan and 14 abstained.

Sunday, Ahmadinejad called the impeachment proceedings illegal. And in an apparent protest, the president refused to attend Tuesday's hearing.

The parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, a conservative rival to the president, rejected Ahmadinejad's assertion.

"It is very clear that the impeachment is legal," Larijani told the chamber.

During the hearing, Kordan defended himself, saying his impeachment was a conspiracy by foreign enemies, including the US and Israel.

He told lawmaker that since he became a minister, "there's been heavy media propaganda against me abroad."

But parliament members rejected his defense, saying it was irrelevant to the issue over his fake degree.

Conservative lawmaker Bijan Nobaveh said the no-confidence vote should be seen as defending the country's credibility.

"The impeachment is the restoration of prestige in the Islamic system," Nobaveh said. "The interior minister's acts decreased trust of the people in the system."

Legislators also were offended last week after a government official tried to pay legislators not to vote for Kordan's impeachment. The attempt promoted one hard-line lawmaker to slap the official, Mohammad Abbasi, in the face.

The scandal forced Ahmadinejad to dismiss Abbasi, but some lawmakers have suggested that the payment would not have been attempted without orders from higher up.