'Fake degree' Iranian minister thrown out of office

An Iranian cabinet minister was sacked today over his fake degree from Oxford University in a move seen as a humiliating blow to hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Iranian leader has been at odds with the country’s national assembly before, but the impeachment of Interior Minister Ali Kordan and his removal today were the first high-profile confrontation between the president and the 290-member parliament, dominated by hardliners.

It was also a sign of Mr Ahmadinejad’s popularity tumbling more ahead of the crucial presidential balloting next June.

Mr Ahmadinejad is expected to run for a second term, but the months ahead are critical if he wants to try to rebut critics who point to his unfulfilled campaign promises of improving the lives of ordinary Iranians and bringing oil revenues to the poorer parts of the country.

Kordan’s reputation initially became tainted during his confirmation debate in August, when several politicians argued he was unqualified for the post and claimed his Oxford degree was a fake. At the time, Kordan was approved by a relatively slim margin, reflecting those concerns.

He initially argued his degree was real. His ministry even published a certificate, dated June 2000 and imprinted with an Oxford seal, meant to prove its authenticity.

The document, in English, was riddled with spelling and grammatical mistakes. Oxford denied it had ever awarded an honorary doctorate of law to Kordan, who then admitted the degree was fake. Mr Ahmadinejad defended Kordan, shrugging off degrees in general as “torn paper” unnecessary for serving the people.

The vote in parliament today was 188-45 to oust Kordan, whose office is in charge of holding elections and local administrations in Iran. Many Ahmadinejad allies and hard-liners also voted in favour of Kordan’s removal which went into effect immediately.

Mr Ahmadinejad now has to propose a candidate to replace Kordan but his choice will need parliament approval. That will likely keep the affair in the political limelight and expose Mr Ahmadinejad to more criticism.

The Iranian president has already come under attack from both reformers and conservatives, who brought him to power but now complain he spends too much time on fiery anti-US rhetoric rather than managing the country.

Middle-class Iranians, dismayed by plummeting living standards, often criticise Mr Ahmadinejad’s economic comments.

In July, Mr Ahmadinejad predicted oil prices would never fall below $100 per barrel – only to see prices fall during the global financial crisis. Today, oil prices hovered around $63 a barrel.

Under Mr Ahmadinejad, Iran has suffered international isolation, skyrocketing prices and threats, from the US and Israel, of military strikes to halt Iran’s nuclear program, which the West fears masks a nuclear weapons pursuit. Iran denies the charge.

Mr Ahmadinejad, who last weekend called the impeachment proceedings illegal, did not attend Kordan’s hearing.

During the proceedings, Kordan defended himself, saying his removal was a conspiracy by foreign enemies, including the US and Israel, and claimed that since he became a minister, “there has been heavy media propaganda against me abroad”.

Politicians rejected the defence as irrelevant to the issue over his fake degree.