Ahmadinejad names ally as vice president

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has elevated his deputy for legal and parliamentary affairs to the position of first vice president.

The appointment of Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, 60, was announced on Sunday, in an official decree by the president.

A native of Kurdistan, Rahimi has held a number of positions in the past, serving as a representative to the Majlis (Iran's Parliament) for three terms, public prosecutor, governor of Kurdistan Province and the head of the Supreme Audit Court.

In his capacity as the president's deputy for legal and parliamentary affairs, Rahimi proved himself a steadfast ally of the president, going to great lengths to win over wavering lawmakers over the impeachment of former Internal Affairs Minister Ali Kordan, who was eventually pushed out for his fake doctorate degree.

As the first vice president, Rahimi will have wide-ranging authorities, including chairing cabinet meeting when Ahmadinejad is absent as well as signing all communications, legislations, edicts, regulations and decisions of the cabinet.