5 Ministers OKd in Move Favoring Iran Conservatives

Iran’s parliament on Sunday gave overwhelming votes of confidence to five new ministers in a move seen as strengthening the hand of conservatives in the Cabinet of moderate President Mohammad Khatami.

Khatami’s nominees for the ministries of Culture and Islamic Guidance; Post, Telegraphs and Telephones; Roads and Transport; Industries and Mines; and Agricultural Jihad were all approved by the reformist majority.

Khatami, who has not made clear whether he will stand again when his term expires in June, said the work of the ministers was key to the success of his government.

“If the public’s demands are not met, then the situation might become such that is not to the benefit of the nation or the revolution,” he told parliament.

Ahmad Masjed Jamei, a conservative, takes over the Culture Ministry from Khatami’s key reform ally Ataollah Mohajerani, who was forced out under pressure from Islamic hard-liners. Jamei received 214 votes in favor out of 253 cast.

Mohajerani was seen as the man behind the freeing of Iran’s press and a brief cultural blossoming, particularly in film. But he offended many in the conservative establishment, and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led calls for him to resign.

Ahmad Motamedi, a technocrat named to take over telecommunications, received 202 votes out of 255.

Newspapers said the government and the reformist majority in parliament had reached a behind-the-scenes deal in which members of parliament agreed to accept two of the ministers they had earlier opposed in return for favored candidates in the other three posts.

Rahman Dadman, Mahmoud Hojjati and Eshaq Jahangiri were approved as ministers of transport, agriculture and industries, respectively.