TEHRAN (AFP) -Iran”s hardline President Mahmood Ahmadinejad put his proposed cabinet to parliament, lashing out at the West and liberalism and promising a government that will &#34promote virtue and prohibit vice.&#34

Signaling his shock election win had delivered a clean break from the previous reformist administration of Mohammad Khatami, Ahmadinejad pledged to fight off liberalism that he argued threatened Islamic values.

&#34The international community they go so far as to condemn us. What sort of balance is this? This is injustice and oppression, and our nation will not accept this in international affairs,&#34 Ahmadinejad, who took office on August 3, told parliament on Sunday.

It was a clear reference to threats against Iran in the wake of Tehran”s decision to resume sensitive nuclear work earlier this month. The clerical regime has refused to return to a full freeze of nuclear fuel work — the focus of fears the country is seeking atomic weapons.

Ahmadinejad also vowed a more assertive trade policy.

&#34Currently we are importing from some countries billions of dollars whereas they are not buying our oil and they are also not buying our products,&#34 he said in a speech one MP described as &#34more about ideals than strategies&#34.

&#34These countries should be thankful to us because we are helping their economies boom, but they are not thankful and are looking at us as if we were indebted to them,&#34 the 49-year-old former commando told the conservative-controlled assembly.

The speech to the Majlis, carried live on state television and radio, opened a debate that could last several days on the former Tehran mayor”s proposed 21-member cabinet.

Although right-wingers dominate the assembly, the procedure may not be a mere formality. Of those nominated, only two have previously held ministerial posts while the others are mostly unknowns.

Ahmadinejad said four principles would guide the policy of his new government: &#34expansion of justice, serving people, elevating the country financially and spiritually, and kindness to people&#34.

&#34Liberal thought justifies and recognises all abnormalities and deviations (and) isolates the values defined by religious training such as equality, forgiveness, selflessness, chastity and immaculacy,&#34 he told the 290-seat Majlis.

&#34Our nation does not and will not tolerate such a thing,&#34 he said, vowing a &#34culture of spirituality&#34 in the Islamic republic.

&#34We should expand a culture that promotes virtue and prohibits vice, and also favourable to Islamic traditions such as respect to parents, visiting relatives, generosity to orphans and philanthropy… and we should fortify the education, universities, mosques, seminaries and genuine cultural groups.&#34

Ahmadinejad has allocated political posts — such as the interior ministry, intelligence and culture — to fellow ultra-conservatives, while technocrats have been appointed to head the oil and foreign ministries.

Since Ahmadinejad announced his team earlier this month, eyebrows have been raised over some nominees” qualifications — including Ali Saidloo, nominated for the sensitive oil ministry, science portfolio nominee Mohammad-Mehdi Zahedi and health ministry nominee Kamran Baqeri-Lankarani.

&#34If the parliament behaves reasonably and logically, some nominees will not receive the vote of confidence. If the parliament behaves politically, all the ministers would be approved,&#34 Mohammad Khoshchehreh, an MP from Tehran, told IRNA.

One MP, Hassan Sobhani, was quoted as saying by IRNA that &#34strategies to remove administrative corruption were missing&#34 from Ahmadinejad”s programme, and cautioned that faced with globalisation, &#34we should not be passive and wait for the Islamic civilisation to appear.&#34

Another MP, Bijan Shahbazkhani, warned that government plans to give ordinary Iranians a share of the nation”s oil wealth appeared to contradict efforts to contain inflation.

But Iran”s all-powerful leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has given his backing to Ahmadinejad”s line-up, calling Friday for the Majlis to &#34complete its legal duty&#34 so the &#34the new administration is in place as soon as possible&#34.