TEHRAN — In an open session of the parliament on Wednesday, the Majlis representatives elected Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as the parliament speaker for the third time.

Each year, parliamentarians vote to elect speaker and deputy speakers.Qalibaf, Morteza Agha Tehrani, Fereydoun Abbasi Davani, and Elyas Naderan ran for the post of speaker.After a paper ballot, Qalibaf took the position for the third year in a row with 194 votes out of a total of 281.Agha Tehrani received 53 votes, while Naderan acquired 23 votes.Fereydoun Abbasi gained the least number of votes, winning only 3 votes.

10 votes were also declared invalid.Also, Ali Nikzad, Abdolreza Mesri, Mojtaba Zolnouri, Ebrahim Azizi and Hajar Chenarani were candidates for the post of deputy speaker.Nikzad was reelected as the deputy speaker with 168 votes.

Mesri also gained the same number of votes.Due to the fact that the number of votes of Nikzad and Mesri was equal, lots were drawn to appoint the first and second vice speakers, with Nikzad becoming the first vice speaker and Abdolreza Mesri the second.