Iran backs first woman minister

Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi was approved as health minister Iranian MPs have approved the first woman minister in the 30-year history of the Islamic republic. She was one of 18 nominations for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's new cabinet to be approved. Two other women were among three rejected nominees. The president's choice for defence minister, Ahmad Vahidi, who is wanted by Argentina over a deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre, won strong backing. The vote follows months of wrangling after disputed elections in June. Correspondents say Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, the female health minister-designate, is a hard-line conservative who has in the past proposed introducing segregated health care in Iran, with women treating women and men treating men. The two women rejected were Fatemeh Ajorlou, as welfare and social security minister, and Susan Keshavarz, as education minister. The third nominee to be turned down was the president's choice for energy minister, Mohammad Aliabadi. Mr Ahmadinejad has three months to propose new candidates to replace those rejected. The parliamentary confidence vote followed five days of intense debate. Before the vote, Mr Ahmadinejad urged MPs to approve his choices, saying the ballot reflected "real democracy". His government would work closely with parliament, he said. The president's proposed oil minister, Massoud Mirkazemi, was approved, despite questions over his experience. Link...