Ahmadinejad pushes new oil chief

Mr Ahmadinejad has complained about negative propaganda

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has nominated a third candidate for the key cabinet post of oil minister after his first two nominees were rejected.

The Iranian parliament objected to the president choosing personal allies who lacked experience in the oil sector.

His new choice, Seyyed Mohsen Tasalloti, is the director of a petrochemical development zone in southern Iran.

Iran is the world's fourth biggest producer of crude oil.

Mr Tasalloti is an architecture graduate who served as head of construction at the National Iranian Petrochemical Company (NIPC) from 1988 until 1999.

He has also served as deputy governor of the western Markazi Province.

'Parliament not consulted'

The director of the NIPC, Mohammed Ehtiati told the AFP news agency that Mr Tasalloti did have the qualifications to be an oil minister.

"Of those who have been nominated so far, he has the best profile," he said.

Kamal Deneshya, the head of the energy committee of the parliament, agreed that the nominee had experience, but complained that the president had "yet again not consulted parliament".

Majlis Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel announced a vote on the nomination would be held next week.

After the last vote, Mr Ahmadinejad said no government since the Islamic revolution in 1979 had been attacked so viciously as his.