Tehran, Oct 29, IRNA-The Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) Sunday gave the required vote of confidence to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's candidate for the post of minister of welfare and social security, Abdol-Reza Mesri.

Out of 269 MPs who attended the session, a total of 244 deputies cast their votes. One hundred ninety-one voted in favor of Mesri, 42 were against, and 11 abstained.

Mesri is the third MP of the 7th Majlis to join the cabinet of President Ahmadinejad. Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki and Minister of the Economy Davoud Danesh-Jafari were also members of the 7th Majlis.

President Ahmadinejad, in a letter sent to Majlis Speaker Gholam- Ali Haddad-Adel, named Mesri as his nominee for the post on the same day (September 25) when it was vacated with the resignation of the previous minister, Parviz Kazemi.

However, the debate on the competency of Mesri has been delayed due to a single-urgency bill then pending to merge the ministry of welfare and social affairs and health ministry. The bill on October 23 was struck down by Majlis.

President Ahmadinejad, simultaneous with his acceptance of ex-minister of welfare and social security Parviz Kazemi's resignation on Sept 25, named Ali Youssefpour as caretaker of the ministry.

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