Tehran  - A majority of Iranian parliament deputies refused to attend an Iftar dinner - the evening meal during the month of Ramadan - hosted by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Tehran daily Etemad reported Tuesday.

While claiming that only 20 out of the total 290 lawmakers turned up at the Iftar dinner Sunday night, the daily quoted unnamed legislators as saying that their absence was due to Ahmadinejad's refusal to discuss the membership of his cabinet with them.

Legislators voiced criticism after Ahmadinejad refused to consult with the parliament about his new ministers, but the president said that he could not consult with all 290 deputies over his nominees.

There had been reports that the MPs had also refused to attend a ceremony in June celebrating Ahmadinejad's re-election which was overshadowed by fraud charges. Neither that nor the Etemad report could be verified.

The parliament is scheduled to review the new cabinet list, which also includes three women, early next month and could reject some of the nominees.

Deputies had called on the president to appoint qualified ministers and not just aides who are ideologically close to him.

Ahmadinejad said that the new cabinet members were the most qualified in the last three decades. (dpa)