Iran president names 11 new cabinet members

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has unveiled a cabinet boasting 11 new faces, including three women, in a line-up on Thursday slammed as inexperienced by leading lawmakers.

The president was due to address the nation to present the new cabinet including a relative novice as oil minister, but is expected to face a tough battle to win parliament's approval.

The outcome will be another test of how secure the hardliner's grip is on power in the major oil exporter after his disputed re-election in a June poll that led to street protests and political turmoil.

Iranian media reported that Ahmadinejad had submitted a list of 18 ministers to the assembly the previous evening, meeting a midnight deadline, but there was no immediate confirmation of this from parliament.

The nominated ministers included current Commerce Minister Massoud Mirkazemi as the new oil minister, a key position since crude sales account for most state revenue. He is seen as an Ahmadinejad ally but has little known oil industry experience.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki would retain his job and three women would become ministers for health, social welfare and education respectively. It would be the first time a woman becomes minister in the conservative Islamic Republic.

Parliamentary approval

Parliament must approve the nominees and Ahmadinejad may get a rough ride from conservatives who dominate the assembly, as well as from moderate foes who see his government as illegitimate after the June election.

Lawmakers will begin examining the names from August 23 before holding a confidence vote on August 30.

A senior Iranian MP said Thursday the assembly may reject several of the ministers proposed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his new cabinet, an Iranian news agency reported.

"Some of my colleagues and I ... are of the opinion that close to five ministers proposed by Ahmadinejad will not receive a vote of confidence," Vice Speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar was quoted as saying by the Mehr News Agency.

He did not give any names of the ministers the parliament may reject.

Some of my colleagues and I are of the opinion that close to five ministers proposed by Ahmadinejad will not receive a vote of confidence

Vice Speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar