News / Politics

Larijani re-elected Iran’s Tenth Majlis Speaker

Tuesday, 31 May 2016 7:58 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 31 May 2016 8:22 AM ]

Iran’s Majlis (parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani (© ICANA)

Ali Larijani has been re-elected as the speaker of Iran’s Tenth Majlis (parliament) to serve in the post during the first year of the legislative body’s four-year term.

During a parliamentary session with 276 legislators in attendance on Tuesday, Larijani secured 237 votes out a total of 273 ballots cast.

His main rival Mostafa Kavakebiyan, a reformist lawmaker, could only receive eleven votes.

Meanwhile, Masoud Pezeskhiyan, a parliamentarian from the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz, garnered 158 votes to be named First Vice Speaker of Majlis.

Principlist lawmaker Ali Motahari also gained 133 votes and was appointed the Second Vice Speaker.

A view of Iranian Majlis (parliament) at the inaugural ceremony of the Tenth Majlis in Tehran on May 28, 2016 (© ICANA)

The Islamic Republic of Iran inaugurated its Tenth Majlis on May 28 amid heavy media coverage and with a large number of senior government and military officials present.

Reformists swept the two rounds of parliamentary elections on February 26 and April 29, winning close to 42 percent of the ballots, followed by Principlists (nearly 29 percent), and independents (22.41 percent). The elected lawmakers are to serve from today through May 27, 2020. The remaining seven percent includes the religious minorities and candidates endorsed by both Reformists and Principlists.

Majlis, also known as the Islamic Consultative Assembly, is made up of 290 parliamentarians, elected in 207 constituencies.

The first round of the parliamentary elections sent 222 candidates to the Majlis. The run-off was held to fill the 68 remaining seats.

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