Larijani Owes Longevity as Majlis Speaker to Principlists

Ali Larijani could secure the influential post of parliament speaker for another term due largely to the support from principlists, says a lawmaker. 
Larijani, a moderate conservative, won a re-election on May 30 for the eleventh consecutive year after 147 votes were cast in his favor in the 290-seat assembly. His challenger, senior reformist Mohammad Reza Aref, got 123 votes. 
In a recent interview with ILNA, Hassan Norouzi said some tend to believe that Larijani is actually in the reformist camp but presents himself as a sympathizer with principlists — a broad faction of politicians who use such a term to express their loyalty to the Islamic Republic's ideals and principles.
"Some were saying that Larijani owes his post to the reformists, but recent developments in parliament showed that he owes his post to the principlists," he noted.