Speaker's Role in the Assembly

After the first meeting of the Assembly, the members take an oath. Then from among its members the Assembly elects a Speaker.

The election is held through a secret ballot, and the members who obtain majority of the votes from the members present in the House are elected as Speaker.

The term of office of the Speaker is the same as that of the Assembly. Once the Assembly is dissolved, the Speaker will remain until replaced at the following session.

  • Functions:
    At the start of each session, the Speaker nominates, in order of precedence, from amongst the members, a panel of not more than four Chairmen to preside over the sittings of the Assembly.
  • The Speaker takes a central position in the Assembly. Although elected as a nominee of a political party, it is assumed that the Speaker will conduct the business of the Assembly in a just and fair manner, as an impartial arbiter, and manage the proceedings in line with the established norms of democracy. The Speaker is required to affect a balance between the Treasury and the Opposition benches.
  • In addition to the functions relating to the conduct of business of the Assembly, the Speaker also performs certain administrative and financial functions under the Constitution and rules. Briefly, the Speaker is required to
    • take the Chair at every sitting of the Assembly at the appointed time
    • call a sitting to order and to conduct business
    • preserve order and decorum, and to enforce decisions
    • suspend or expel a member
    • order the Galleries to be cleared or if any stranger is present he/she can be removed by the Speaker
    • hold a secret sitting of the Assembly
    • delete any remarks from the proceedings of the Assembly, and
    • amend notices and motions. 

In the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker takes the Chair. If the Deputy Speaker is also absent, the Chairman having precedence amongst those present at the sitting, occupies the Chair. In the absence of all three, the Assembly may elect one of the members present to preside at the sitting.