Petra
King Abdullah II will Wednesday open the third ordinary session of the 19th Parliament tomorrow, Wednesday and will deliver the Speech from the Throne.
Following the Speech, the Senate will convene to select the committee members tasked with responding to the Speech.
The Lower Chamber will then hold its session, led by its most senior representative, to elect the members of the permanent office, which includes the speaker, the first and second deputies, and the two assistants.
As per Paragraph (A) of Article 3 of the House of Representatives’ bylaws: “Upon entering their chamber, the House of Representatives will hold its inaugural session, chaired by its most senior representative. In cases of equal seniority, the deputy with more terms will preside. If still equal, the eldest will chair, assisted by the two youngest members present. If any are unable to fulfill their role, the next eldest member will replace them. This procedure concludes with the election of a speaker.”
Article 14’s Paragraph (A) of the bylaws clarifies the election process: “A candidate securing an absolute majority of votes is deemed elected as the speaker if there are more than two contenders. With only two candidates, the one with a relative majority wins. In case of a tie, lots will be drawn.”
Significantly, recent amendments to the House of Representatives’ bylaws mandate that one member of the permanent office be a female representative. As stated in Paragraph B of Article 7: “If no woman secures the position of speaker or either of the deputy speaker roles, the speaker’s assistant role is reserved for female candidates, as per guidelines set by the Permanent Office.”
Subsequent to these elections, the House of Representatives will appoint a committee to draft a response to the Speech from the Throne. This response, once approved by the House, will be presented to His Majesty the King within a 14-day window from the delivery of the Throne Speech.
The session will conclude with the House electing members for 20 parliamentary committees.