Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered the hardline parliament not to purge any more ministers in the embattled reformist government, pointing out that new elections are just months away anyway.A message to deputies from Khamenei, also carried in Iranian media Tuesday, said that "now that the government is in the last months of its crucial mission, impeaching ministers is of no benefit for the country." The statement nevertheless told the parliament, or Majlis, it did have the right to use its "supervisory tools". In October the Majlis voted to sack transport minister Ahmad Khorram for corruption and mismanagement, failing to tackle mounting carnage on the nation's transport network and for awarding an airport operating contract to a foreign consortium.
The move was a major blow to the moderate government of President Mohammad Khatami, which has been left badly isolated after reformists were barred from contesting parliamentary elections 11 months ago. But conservative deputies have also set their sights on other moderate cabinet members, including Interior Minister Abdolvahed Moussavi-Lari and Education Minister Morteza Hadji. The education minister has been accused of favouring reformists in the education system, as well as bowing to striking teachers over wage demands.