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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Iran minister sacked over forgery | Iran minister sacked over forgery |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Iran's parliament has voted to sack Interior Minister Ali Kordan after he admitted a degree he said he obtained from Oxford University was a forgery. | Iran's parliament has voted to sack Interior Minister Ali Kordan after he admitted a degree he said he obtained from Oxford University was a forgery. |
| Mr Kordan said he had received the doctoral certificate in good faith, but it was later revealed as a crude fake. | Mr Kordan said he had received the doctoral certificate in good faith, but it was later revealed as a crude fake. |
| The BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran says the row could have serious implications for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. | The BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran says the row could have serious implications for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. |
| MPs have accused the president of grave naivety for having been taken in by the lies of his minister. | MPs have accused the president of grave naivety for having been taken in by the lies of his minister. |
| It is very clear that the impeachment is legal Ali LarijaniSpeaker of parliament class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7708431.stm">MP's fake degree stokes anger | |
| Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani said 188 MPs from a total of 247 had voted for a motion to impeach Mr Kordan. Forty-five voted against the motion and 14 abstained. | |
| It was the 10th change in Mr Ahmadinejad's cabinet of 21 ministers; under Iran's constitution the entire cabinet has to be submitted to a new vote of confidence if half its members change. | It was the 10th change in Mr Ahmadinejad's cabinet of 21 ministers; under Iran's constitution the entire cabinet has to be submitted to a new vote of confidence if half its members change. |
| The president said before the impeachment hearing that the proceedings were illegitimate, so it is not clear whether he will accept the vote, our correspondent says. | The president said before the impeachment hearing that the proceedings were illegitimate, so it is not clear whether he will accept the vote, our correspondent says. |
| 'Laughing stock' | |
| Mr Kordan claims he was approached with the offer of a doctorate by the Tehran representative of an institution described as the London Oxford University. | Mr Kordan claims he was approached with the offer of a doctorate by the Tehran representative of an institution described as the London Oxford University. |
| HAVE YOUR SAYAll but one of the MPs who spoke took care to distinguish their impeachment of Kordan from criticism of AhmadinejadAlireza, TehranRead Iranian readers' comments | HAVE YOUR SAYAll but one of the MPs who spoke took care to distinguish their impeachment of Kordan from criticism of AhmadinejadAlireza, TehranRead Iranian readers' comments |
| But the certificate turned out to be an obvious forgery, which was littered with misspellings. | But the certificate turned out to be an obvious forgery, which was littered with misspellings. |
| The scandal has made the former minister a national laughing stock, with a fake resignation letter being passed round purporting to be from him, but full of misprints and crossings-out. | The scandal has made the former minister a national laughing stock, with a fake resignation letter being passed round purporting to be from him, but full of misprints and crossings-out. |
| One MP said Mr Kordan - who worked as a university lecturer - had related invented tales to his students about his days in Oxford. In fact he has never visited and does not even have a first degree. | One MP said Mr Kordan - who worked as a university lecturer - had related invented tales to his students about his days in Oxford. In fact he has never visited and does not even have a first degree. |
| The post of interior minister is crucial in organising the presidential elections which are due to be held in the middle of 2009. | The post of interior minister is crucial in organising the presidential elections which are due to be held in the middle of 2009. |
| Are you in Iran? Do you think the impeachment affects President Ahmadinejad's political standing? Send us your comments using the form below: | Are you in Iran? Do you think the impeachment affects President Ahmadinejad's political standing? Send us your comments using the form below: |