Iranian President Names New Ministers to Parliament

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami Wednesday named five new ministers to the Majlis (parliament) to head ministries of agriculture jihad, industries and mines, culture and Islamic guidance, road and transport, and post, telegraph and telephone.

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that the five nominees are Mahmoud Hojjati, Eshaq Jahangiri, Ahmad Masjed Jamei, Ahmad Motamedi and Rahman Dadman.

The Ministry of Agriculture Jihad has been derived recently from the merger of the former Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Construction Jihad. The new ministry is to be headed by Mahmoud Hojjati, currently heading the Ministry of Road and Transport.

The new-proposed minister of road and transport will be Rahman Dadman.

The Ministry of Industries and Mines, a tie-up of the Ministry of Industries and the Ministry of Mines and Metals, is to be headed by Eshaq Jahangiri, former minister of mines and metals, if approved by the parliament.

Ahmad Masjed Jamei is the former deputy minister of culture and Islamic Guidance and has been the caretaker of the ministry since former Minister Ataollah Mohajerani, a reformer hated by the conservatives, resigned last month.

Ahmad Motamedi, a relatively unknown figure, was proposed to head the Ministry of Post (PTT), Telegraph and Telephone, whose former minister, Mohammad Reza Aref, was appointed to head the newly formed State Management and Planning Organization last June.

Last October, Khatami had proposed Deputy PTT Minister Nasrollah Jahangard to head the ministry, but failed to get approval from the parliament.

Khatami virtually started his cabinet reshuffle last June, reportedly in response to calls from his reformist allies, who seized control of the parliament after the parliamentary elections last February.

Interior Minister Mousavi Lari said Tuesday that the cabinet reshuffle is one of the important signs showing that Khatami will run for a second term in the upcoming presidential election, slated for June 8, 2001. Khatami has so far given no formal word on his re-election effort.






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