TEHRAN – Ali Larijani was elected on Sunday as interim speaker in the new Majlis, winning 173 votes out of 281.

Mohammad Reza Aref, the other candidate for the post, won 103 votes.
Five lawmakers did not vote for either candidate. 
Aref, a reformist, is the leader of the “Hope” faction in the new parliament.
The new Iranian parliament was sworn in on Saturday.
Larijani held the post of speaker for two consecutive terms from 2008 to 2016. 
Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist MP from Tabriz, was also elected as first deputy parliament speaker by winning 154 votes. Mohammad Deqhani, a principlist, also was elected as second deputy speaker by garnering 136 votes.

PA/PA