DEMOCRACY ISN'T ALWAYS PRETTY, HUH, MAHMOUD?:

Iran president defied by Majlis (BBC, 11/09/05)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has suffered a fresh blow after his nominee for oil minister withdrew in the face of criticism from MPs.

Sadeq Mahsuli was the second candidate to be chosen by the president, but his lack of experience caused opposition. [...]

The president's nomination came under fire in an open session of the Majlis on Tuesday.

"How can [such] a person... implement the justice the president wants," said Emad Afrouq, a conservative deputy.

"Mr Mahsuli is not fit for the oil ministry or to even to be a member of the cabinet," added Gholamreza Mesbahi Moqaddam.

The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says the crisis indicates a growing rift between the hardline Majlis and the president, even though both are considered to share a similar ideology.