MPs Revise Decision to Impeach Education Minister

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian lawmakers have withdrawn an impeachment motion against Education Minister Alireza Ali Ahmadi who had stood accused of not doing enough to improve teachers’ pay.

The MPs withdrew their impeachment motion following a meeting with the minister yesterday.

“The government reached agreement with parliament on making up the shortfalls in the education budget,” Ali Ahmadi said.

“The teachers’ demands will be met soon,” he said, vowing that 10,000 school staff working under short-term contracts will be offered permanent employment by the start of the academic year on September 23.

Eighty-two of parliament’s 290 MPs had backed the move to impeach the minister, who was only appointed in February after his predecessor was sacked by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The MPs had accused Ali Ahmadi of “ignoring the financial problems faced by teachers all over the country” and said his “incompetence in managing affairs has caused at least 90 percent of teachers to be dissatisfied with him”.