Iran's president likely to face confidence vote

Saffar-Harandi, the minister of culture submitted his resignation on Sunday over what he said was a weakened government following Ahmadinejad's decision to sack the intelligence minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie.

Iran's constitution stipulates that if half of the 21-member cabinet is changed during its four-year term, a new vote of confidence is required.

Ahmadinejad has changed 10 ministers, including Ejeie, the intelligence minister in his mandate. One more would make 11 more than half of the total.

“Unfortunately due to the recent events which shows the esteemed government's weakness, I will no longer consider myself the minister of culture and will not show up at the ministry as of tomorrow," said Saffar-Harandi in his resignation letter.

But President Ahmadinejad has rejected the resignation of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Saffar-Harandi, his office said on Monday.

"This resignation has not been accepted by the president," Mohammad Jafar Mohmmadzadeh, communications director at the president's office, told the ISNA news agency.

"The government does not need a vote of confidence from the parliament," he said.

The nation has been in political turmoil since the disputed Presidential election on June 12 which triggered a wave of mass public protests and the worst unrest since the 1979 Islamic revolution.