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Archive photo · 1 May 2024Ibrahim Al-Tarawneh Elected Speaker Of Jordanian House Of Representatives With 70 Votes
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Tarawneh elected as Speaker of the 20th Jordanian Parliament with 70 votes. Brother of former speaker Atif Tarawneh; continuity in family leadership.
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Jordan elects new Speaker
The Jordanian House of Representatives elected Ibrahim Tarawneh as Speaker of the 20th House of Representatives for its third ordinary session on Monday, securing 70 votes. Petra reported that Tarawneh’s opposing candidates were Mujhem Sqour with 38 votes and Suleiman Zaben with 23 votes, with seven ballots declared invalid. Petra said a total of 138 MPs attended the session, and the election followed the House’s constitutional requirement to elect a president of the council at the start of each ordinary session.
Ibrahim Al-Tarawneh became the first Speaker to hold the post that was previously held by his brother ATOF Al-Tarawneh. ATOF Al-Tarawneh chaired the council for seven consecutive ordinary sessions between 2013 and 2020.
Blocs, ballots, and disputes
Understandings reached by four parliamentary blocs, namely “Al-Meethaq,” “Mubadara,” “Azm,” and “the Centrist Parties and Reform,” on October 29 regarding the distribution of the Council’s permanent office. Majham Al-Saqour insisted on running despite Tarawneh being endorsed by the agreeing blocs, asserting that only the ballot box settles the competition for the leadership of the legislative authority. Petra said Tarawneh called for addressing economic and unemployment challenges through "bold and responsible" discussions of public policies and priorities.
Saquour directed direct criticisms at the government and accused it of interfering in the arrangements for choosing the Speaker of the House. Petra said Tarawneh pledged to safeguard freedom of opinion and expression and respect the right to disagree.
Rule of law and priorities
Petra said Tarawneh told MPs that the King’s Speech from the Throne will serve as the legislature's roadmap and outlined responsibilities for Parliament in upholding the rule of law and confronting terrorism. Petra reported that Tarawneh said, "Jordanians are not waiting for us to describe the difficulties of reality, but to find solutions to unemployment, the cost of living, public debt, water scarcity and energy security," and he called for making those priorities central to Parliament’s work. The legislative authority’s responsibilities include supporting the rule of law, confronting terrorism, and advancing major strategic projects, most notably those related to water security.
Petra said Tarawneh voiced Jordan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, describing it as a matter of justice and legitimate rights, and he said Jordan would continue supporting the Palestinian people until they secure their legitimate rights. Petra said Tarawneh urged MPs to focus on finding solutions to unemployment, rising living costs, public debt, water shortages, and energy security, instead of merely describing.