TEHRAN, Oct 8: No new nominee for the Iranian oil minister has been presented to parliamentarians, an official said on Saturday, leaving the energy policy of Opec’s second biggest exporter in limbo.

Conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad initially nominated his close political ally Ali Saeedlou, then acting mayor of Tehran, for the top cabinet portfolio despite his lack of oil industry experience.

But parliamentarians overwhelming rejected Saeedlou, viewing him as unfit to steer the hydrocarbons policy of the world’s fourth biggest crude producer.

Kamal Daneshyar, head of parliament’s energy commission, said the president had not yet submitted a new candidate.

He told Reuters the energy commission would meet the cabinet on Wednesday to remind them they will then have 40 days to come up with a new candidate.

But he could make no predictions on who would get the nomination and whether parliament would approve.

“Out of 10 candidates, more than half are suitably qualified for the job,” he told Reuters.

“There are 290 representatives in parliament and I cannot predict who might get their vote,” he added.

Some analysts say parliamentary energy commission members such as Daneshyar, Hossein Nejabat and Mohsen Yahyavi could have a chance of becoming minister themselves.

Current favourites tipped by the press are industry old-hand Ali Beheshtian, university oil lecturer Ali Vatani and the acting Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri.

All have impeccable conservative credentials.—Reuters