TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iranian parliamentarians on Wednesday overwhelming rejected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad”s third nominee for oil minister of the world”s fourth biggest crude producer.

The vote is a further political embarrassment for a president who made reform of the oil industry a keystone of his electoral campaign.

Only 77 out of the 254 parliamentarians who voted were in favor of Mohsen Tasalloti, a veteran of the petrochemicals industry.

The parliamentarians protested that Ahmadinejad had not sufficiently consulted with them about such an important ministerial appointment.

Lawmakers rejected Ahmadinejad”s first nominee in August. The second candidate pulled out of the race moments before lawmakers were due to cast their votes.