Tags
Iranian MPs wait for the results of impeachment of Minister for Science, Research and Technology, Reza Faraji Dana as other MPs (top L) count the ballots after voting at parliament in Tehran
AFP/Tehran
Iran's conservative-dominated parliament on Wednesday voted to sack the science minister for wanting to recruit people accused of involvement in the 2009 protest movement.
Reza Faraji Dana, whose responsibilities included Iran's universities, was sacked after a censure motion went against him.
The motion was backed by 145 of the 270 lawmakers present, out of a total of 290, while 110 supported Faraji Dana. The other 15 abstained.
President Hassan Rouhani defended his minister and urged MPs to have greater confidence in him.
Reformers and moderates had tried in the past few days to defend Faraji Dana's record in office, accusing ultra-conservatives of wanting to weaken the government.
Lawmakers say he nominated as senior department officials people who took part in the movement that challenged the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009, seen by the authorities as a "plot".
Faraji Dana was also accused of allowing students to return to university after having been expelled "for moral and political reasons".
He is the first minister in the current government to be the subject of a censure motion.
He was Rouhani's third choice as Minister for Science, Research and Technology after parliament rejected the first two nominees.
There are no comments.
SPORT Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
TECHNOLOGY Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
CULTURE Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
ARABIA The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
ARABIA Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
ARABIA The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
ECONOMY Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.
