Iran rejects Minister's resignation over firing

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected the resignation of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi, his office said on Monday.

"This resignation has not been accepted by the president," Mohammad Jafar Mohmmadzadeh, communications director at the president's office, told the ISNA news agency.

The resignation letter

The minister submitted his resignation on Sunday over what he said was a weakened government following Ahmadinejad's decision to sack the intelligence minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie.

"Unfortunately due to the recent events which shows the esteemed government's weakness, I will no longer consider myself the minister of culture and will not show up at the ministry as of tomorrow," Saffar-Harandi said in his resignation letter.

Unfortunately due to the recent events which shows the esteemed government's weakness, I will no longer consider myself the minister of culture and will not show up at the ministry as of tomorrow

Saffar-Harandi

A vote of confidence

The departure of the ministers has compounded Ahmadinejad's woes in the wake of the crisis over his bitterly disputed re-election last month, with some suggestions he might need a new vote of confidence in his present cabinet.

Iran's constitution stipulates that if half of the 21-member cabinet is changed during its four-year term, a new vote of confidence is required.

Ahmadinejad has changed 10 ministers, including Ejeie, in his current mandate.

But Mohammadzadeh said: "The government does not need a vote of confidence from the parliament."

Saffar-Harandi himself said in his resignation letter that Ahmadinejad had "verbally" dismissed him but was not issuing a written dismissal order for fear of a possible confidence motion.

The government does not need a vote of confidence from the parliament

Mohammad Jafar Mohmmadzadeh, communications director at the presidential office