TEHRAN, Nov. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad retracted his oil minister nominee on Wednesday after the candidate announced his withdrawal from the post.

    Ahmadinejad's decision was declared in a letter read out at aMajlis (parliament) session by Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad.

    The official IRNA news agency said Ahmadinejad's retraction was a "positive reaction" to the request of the nominee Sadeq Mahsouli,who announced his withdrawal in a letter to Ahmadinejad earlier in the day.

    Mahsouli, 47, former deputy defense minister and senior officer of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, was proposed on Nov. 2 to be oil minister, the most eye-catching post as Iran enjoys rich reserves in oil and natural gas with a revenue expected to exceed 40 billion US dollars in 2005.

    Ahmadinejad also presented his nominees for three other ministerial posts, namely, education, welfare and social security as well as cooperatives, which were approved by the Majlis soon after Mahsouli's withdrawal was announced.

    The four posts were vacated after the Majlis vetoed previously proposed candidates by the president in August.

    Mahsouli's retraction came as a result of strong opposition from many lawmakers who questioned the capability of Mahsouli asoil minister. The lawmakers accused him of lacking necessary experience for the post.

    This is the second time the parliament rejected the president's nominations for ministerial portfolios.

    According to IRNA, Ahmadinejad arrived at the Majlis to attend the debates on his proposed candidates more than two hours late against the scheduled time, a move strongly protested by a number of lawmakers who thought the president would be absent from the session.

    Ahmadinejad, who assumed presidency on Aug. 3 after winning a landslide presidential run-off in June, submitted a list of cabinet ministers to the Majlis on Aug. 14, but four of the proposed ministers failed votes of confidence.

    Ahmadinejad previously proposed Ali Saeedlou, his long-timeaide, to govern the oil sector, who was rejected by the Majlis which argued that Saeedlou lacked working experience in the oilfield. Enditem