In an open session on Thursday, Ghalibaf secured 230 votes out of a total of 264 votes cast to become the Parliament speaker, followed by Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani with 17 votes, and Mostafa Mirsalim – a candidate in the 2017 presidential elections – with 12 votes.
Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi and Ali Nikzad, both conservatives, were also elected as the first and second vice-speakers of the Parliament.
The new Parliament started its work on Wednesday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Judiciary Chief Hojatoleslam Seyed Ebrahim Raeisi, and Secretary of the Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati in attendance.
There are 290 seats in the Iranian Parliament. The lawmakers are elected for a 4-year term, with no limitation for the incumbent or former parliamentarians to run again.
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