TEHRAN, Nov. 4 -- Iran's parliament voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to impeach a cabinet minister who has been a close ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a political setback that reflects growing opposition among lawmakers to the president's policies.
Ahmadinejad now faces heavy criticism for his backing of former interior minister Ali Kordan, who was impeached for having falsely claimed to hold an honorary law degree from Oxford University. An aide to Ahmadinejad was fired Sunday for trying to bribe several lawmakers to withdraw their support for the impeachment procedure.
The struggle over Kordan has exposed a growing divide between the government's remaining backers in the parliament. Shifting alliances make it hard to determine the breakdown of support, but Tuesday's vote showed a dwindling of government loyalists. Out of 290 deputies, 188 voted for the impeachment of Ahmadinejad's confidant, 45 voted against, 14 abstained and nine didn't vote at all. Thirty-four lawmakers failed to show up for the vote.
Iranian Parliament Impeaches Ahmadinejad Ally - washingtonpost.com
Ahmadinejad now faces heavy criticism for his backing of former interior minister Ali Kordan, who was impeached for having falsely claimed to hold an honorary law degree from Oxford University. An aide to Ahmadinejad was fired Sunday for trying to bribe several lawmakers to withdraw their support for the impeachment procedure.
The struggle over Kordan has exposed a growing divide between the government's remaining backers in the parliament. Shifting alliances make it hard to determine the breakdown of support, but Tuesday's vote showed a dwindling of government loyalists. Out of 290 deputies, 188 voted for the impeachment of Ahmadinejad's confidant, 45 voted against, 14 abstained and nine didn't vote at all. Thirty-four lawmakers failed to show up for the vote.
Iranian Parliament Impeaches Ahmadinejad Ally - washingtonpost.com
