Tehran - Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Friday ordered President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to sack his deputy, Fars news agency reported. "It is necessary that the appointment is cancelled," Khamenei said in a letter to the president, adding that the appointment of Esfandir Rahim-Mashaie as first vice president was neither to Ahmadinejad's nor the government's advantage and would only lead to differences among the president's supporters.
Earlier Friday, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, who led Friday prayers in Tehran, once again called on Ahmadinejad to sack Rahim-Mashaie.
"I hope that the president will pay attention to critics and especially the demand by the supreme leader and reverse the appointment," the ayatollah said.
Ahmadinejad appointed Rahim-Mashaie last week as first vice- president, making him de-facto acting president until his own inauguration on Sunday.
The appointment led to widespread criticism, even within pro- Ahmadinejad circles, because of an earlier remark by the vice president that Iran's political differences with Israel had nothing to do with Israelis and Jews and that Iran was a friend of the Israeli people.
Parliament also joined in the calls for the vice-president to be sacked, or it would take the issue to Khamenei who, according to the constitution, has the final say in all state affairs.
Khamenei has reportedly informed the president already about his wish that Rahim-Mashaie should be replaced.
But Ahmadinejad has ignored the criticism of Rahim-Mashaie - whose daughter is married to the president's son, even though he himself is known for his harsh anti-Israeli rhetoric.
"Rahim-Mashaie is one of the persons most loyal to the revolution and a servant of the people. He has been appointed as first vice- president and he will stay in this position," Ahmadinejad said.
Ayatollah Khatami also criticized the opposition's continued claims of fraud in the June 12 presidential election and their refusal to acknowledge Ahmadinejad's victory.
The ayatollah especially condemned a call by former president Mohammad Khatami for a referendum on the legitimacy of Ahmadinejad's presidency.
"Hello, good morning, the referendum was made on June 12 and more than 24.5 million out of 40 million voted for Ahmadinejad and therefore the president's government is absolutely legitimate," Ahmad Khatami said.
He also criticized opposition groups whom he said had sought support outside Iran and from the Western media for their activities, adding such support would prove futile.
