Posted by Chester Morton / Wednesday 23 November 2016 / No comments
The functions of the Speaker of Parliament
Status and qualifications
The Speaker of Parliament is that
person who has been chosen to be in charge of the activities and proceedings of
the house. The Speaker must be a citizen of the land and of sound mental
disposition. He or she must pass all kinds of security check and of good
character.
The Speaker may be chosen from
outside the Parliament but he could also come from the membership of the house,
in which case, he or she must relinquish his seat to another person.
FUNCTIONS OF THE SPEAKER
Issues warrants for election
One of the functions of the Speaker
of parliament is that when a vacancy is created in the house because of
resignation, death or otherwise of a member, he or she issues a warrant to the
Electoral commission, for a bye-election to be held to fill the vacant
position.
Controls Parliament
Another function of the Speaker is to
preside over debates in parliament. He brings to order, errand Members of
Parliament and generally controls their conduct.
Regulates the business of the house
Parliament is a highly procedural
arena. It is the duty of the Speaker of Parliament to enforce all the standing
orders of the house to ensure that the business of the house proceeds without
any hindrance. His ruling in cases of misunderstanding is binding on all
members.
Formation of committees of the house
It is also the function of the
Speaker of Parliament to ensure that all the requisite committees of the house
are formed. In the formation of the committees, he or she ensures that every
member belongs to one committee or the other, normally based on their
experiences and expertise.
Link between executive and
Legislature
The Speaker of parliament serves as
the link between the executive and the legislature. Every official correspondence
from the house to the executive must be sanctioned by him. When a bill is to be
introduced into the house by the executive, it is routed through the Speaker of
Parliament.
Authorizes bills
The Speaker of the house authorizes
bills that have been passed and forwards it to the President of the state for
him or her to append his or her signature for to become a law.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. a. Who is a Speaker of Parliament?
[2 marks]
b. Highlight five functions of the Speaker of Parliament. [10 marks]
