Tarawneh re-elected as Lower House Speaker

Members of Parliament on Sunday re-elected Deputy Atef Tarawneh as Speaker of the House, following His Majesty King Abdullah's Speech from the Throne.
Tarawneh, and MPs Mefleh Rheimi, Haditha Khreishah and Amjad Majali contested for the top office of the House.
Tarawneh received 79 votes while his rivals Amjad Majali bagged 28 votes, Mefleh Rheimi 23 and Haditha Khreishah received 13 votes.
A total of 148 MPs had cast ballots, but the electoral committee annulled three ballots and found two blank papers.
Commenting after the vote, Tarawneh said: "We turn a page in the history of the house's presidency and move a step forward. Every time a regular session begins, we meet for the good of this country to fulfill our constitutional, legislative and regulatory role, with a clear vision that aims to serve our country relentlessly." He added, "Today, as we leave this session's elections behind, we emphasize that electoral competition will always be a motivation to do more for the sake of our home, our King and the people of Jordan." Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour congratulated the Speaker of the House upon his re-election. He said, "Today, we have heard the directives of His Majesty the King and he and the people of Jordan are expecting a lot from us."