Ammon News - By Khaled Neimat/ Jordan Times

AMMAN — The Independent Elections Commission (IEC) is set to carry out a second by-election before the end of this year, after a deputy from the southern region passed away last week.

Deputy Mahmoud Hweimel (Karak, 4th District) passed away last week after a long battle with cancer, leaving a vacant seat in the 150-strong Lower House.

Hweimel was laid to rest on Wednesday in his hometown of Ghor Al Mazraa in Karak Governorate, 140km south of Amman.

He served as minister of state from 1996 to 1997 in Abdulkarim Kabariti’s government and was elected three times to represent his region in Parliament in 1989, 1993 and 2012.

According to Article 88 of the Constitution, the Lower House must inform the government and the IEC of an MP’s death within one month from the date of its occurrence.

The Parliament is scheduled to start its extraordinary session next month, when Lower House Speaker Saad Hayel Srour is expected to send a notification about Hweimel’s demise to the government and the IEC.

Article 88 of the Constitution stipulates that “when a seat becomes vacant in the Senate or in the House of deputies by death or resignation or for any other reason, it shall be filled by appointment in the case of a senator and by the holding of a by-election in the case of a deputy within a period of two months from the date on which the government is notified of the vacancy by the House.

“The term of the new member shall be for the remaining part of the term of his predecessor,” the article reads.

Earlier this year, newly elected deputy Mohammad Mahseiri (Amman, 2nd District) passed away less than a week after the January 23 parliamentary elections.

The IEC held by-elections in April in the district to fill his seat. Mahseiri’s brother, Abed, won the by-elections.