Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The Islamist Centrist Party (ICP) decided on Sunday to nominate member of parliament Mohammed al-Haj to the speakership of the newly-elected 17th Lower House of Parliament.

ICP, which won three parliamentary seats on the national list ticket, in addition to over a dozen independent district seats, also nominated its MP member Mustafa Amawi as spokesperson of the bloc, and MP Maddallah Tarawneh as secretary.

Al-Haj, who serves as the Islamic Centrist Party’s secretary general, said his party won 16 seats in the 17th Lower House and will seek speakership and an active role in the next government.

The party's parliamentary bloc will prepare a work-plan in the upcoming weeks to negotiate alliances with other members of parliament, particularly as MP's are gearing for internal elections to choose committee chiefs, House's permanent office, and deliberating over forming parliamentary political blocs in the 150-seat House.

Several heavyweight MPs began lobbying for support for the office of the 17th Lower House speakership, including Abdul Karim Dughmi and Saad Hayel Srour, both of whom had previously served as House speakers.

Other MPs, including Khalil Attiyeh and Atef Tarawneh also voiced seeking the speakership.

Meanwhile, the ICP bloc sent two of its MPs, Zakariya al-Shaikh and Tamam al-Riyati to Aqaba to follow-up on the damages caused by flash floods and torrential rains that affected the Red Sea-port city in the past two days.

Parliament is expected to commence its extra-ordinary session early next month, but government sources noted a possibility of delaying the commencement of the 17th Parliament after the government consulted with the Constitutional Court on the legality of the delay.

According to the Constitution, the King has prerogative to delay the commencement for two additional months.

Political observers noted the delay may be necessary to give MPs a chance to consult and deliberate on internal elections and on forming a parliamentary government, which will be the first government formed in consultation with the parliament in over five decades, since the government of Suleiman al-Nabulsi in the 1950's.