Principlist Ali Larijani, the former chairman of the parliament, was sworn in as the interim speaker of the new legislature that opened on Saturday.
In the second session of the Majlis on Sunday, in which elections for the interim presiding board were held, the favorable votes of 173 parliamentarians, out of the 281 present, handed Larijani the leadership of the 290-member assembly, IRNA reported
The influential principlist figure was followed by reformist Mohammad Reza Aref, the top vote-getter in the recent parliamentary polls in the capital Tehran, who earned 103 ballots.
After the result was announced, Aref congratulated Larijani on his victory.
Reformist Massoud Pezeshkian and principlist Mohammad Dehqani were also elected as interim deputy speakers, along with other members of the temporary presiding board, of whom seven were principlists and two reformists.
Past trend indicates the permanent presiding board will most probably be similar to the interim one, which means Larijani will be reelected as speaker, barring an unexpected shift in lawmakers' positions.
The legislative polls were held in February and April. Results of the two rounds showed that the List of Hope, a coalition of reformists and pro-government forces, secured a simple majority and deprived the principlist camp from maintaining its 12-year dominance in the parliament.
Bastian to Defend People's Rights
In his first speech as interim speaker, Larijani said the fact that both factions have a share in the leadership will help promote unity in the Majlis, which he described as "the main bastion for defending the nation's rights".
Pointing to the message of the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on the occasion of the inauguration of the house, Larijani said it has shed light on the path that should be followed by lawmakers. The message urged legislators to prioritize building a Resistance Economy and promoting Islamic culture in the new parliament.
"Resistance Economy [a set of policies to promote self-reliance] is to increase domestic production, which requires [foreign] investment in the country. We should develop a comprehensive plan to remove obstacles on this path," he said, adding that encouraging export should also be high on the agenda.
Larijani said the Islamic culture constitutes the foundation of the Islamic Revolution and legislators should devote efforts to promote it.
At the end of the meeting, the interim speaker announced the next session will be held on Tuesday.
Larijani said the credentials of lawmakers will be reviewed on Sunday and Monday, and complaints will be processed in the Tuesday session.
According to the Constitution, the interim board will run the Majlis until the credentials of two-thirds of lawmakers are endorsed. After that, an election will be held for the permanent presiding board, which will serve for one year. In recent weeks, the two groups of winners have been lobbying to attract lawmakers to their parliamentary factions.
Over 80 independent candidates were elected as lawmakers to the new Majlis.
