Iran's central bank governor has resigned, news agencies reported today, after weeks of rumours about the fate of Ebrahim Sheibani who analysts said had differed with president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on economic policy.
A former economy minister is expected to be appointed as the new central bank chief in the latest change among Ahmadinejad's top economic managers before the March parliamentary election.
Ahmadinejad, whose policies have been criticised by economists for fuelling inflation, has already changed the oil and industry ministers. Some analysts said those cabinet members had, like Sheibani, questioned some government policies.
"The president, Mr Ahmadinejad, accepted this resignation [of Sheibani]," government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency. The official IRNA news agency carried a similar report.
Elham said Sheibani would stay in post until an official decree due out on Tuesday was issued about the new governor, expected to be Tahmasb Mazaheri, an economy minister in the previous administration, the news agencies reported.
There was no immediate statement from the central bank on the reports. Mazaheri's office had no comment.
Ahmadinejad vowed to share out Iran's oil wealth more fairly when elected in 2005 but economists have blamed soaring prices on his government's spending policies which have been fuelled by windfall revenues from high oil prices.
Although public grumbling about the cost of living has risen, analysts say the government has a cushion of petrodollars to keep the economy growing, even if below potential.