Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on Saturday accepted the resignation of Hassan Habibi as vice president, replacing him with the head of the Management and Planning Organization, Mohammad Reza Aref, reported the official Iranian news agency, IRNA.
"Despite the interest that I have in continuing cooperation with Dr. Habibi, he has signified that at this juncture he is not in favor of continuing the cooperation for a number of reasons. Hence, I have appointed Dr. Mohammad Reza Aref to take his place as first vice president," Khatami told reporters.
He said Mohammad Sattari-Far, currently the head of the Social Security Organization, would take the post vacated by Aref.
The 60-year-old Aref headed the ministry of post, telegraph and telephone before he was appointed to head the MPO.
He also served as the chancellor of Tehran University for some time, said IRNA.
Habibi was appointed first deputy to Khatami in 1997. He served as justice minister in the 1980s as well as first vice president for eight years during former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's tenures.
He announced his resignation Monday last week, saying he needed "time to pray." – Albawaba.com
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