Jordan is gearing up for a second round vote on a new speaker of the House of Representatives, but the path forward remains uncertain. A first round of voting last month failed to produce a clear winner, and the second round could be even more complicated.
It is unclear if the current speaker, outgoing Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz, will put his name forward for the second round of voting. He has yet to make any kind of comment on the matter, and several of his top advisors have said that it is unlikely that he will run again.
At the same time, there is no clear front-runner emerging in the race, with several potential candidates likely to throw their hats in the ring. Former prime minister Fayez al-Tarawneh and former finance minister Eleif Kafarneh are both expected to run, while independent MP Said al-Majali is a possible dark horse.
The second round of voting is expected to be held in July, but it is uncertain whether the threshold for a majority will drop from the current two-thirds majority (140 out of 200 MPs) required to win the first round of voting. If the threshold remains the same, it seems highly unlikely that any of the candidates will be able to secure a majority.
With no clear path forward, the current political deadlock in Jordan shows few signs of abating anytime soon. It remains to be seen how the country will resolve this issue and who will ultimately be chosen as the next speaker of the House of Representatives.
