Official text · word for word
32. Speaker and Deputy Speaker
(1) When the National Assembly first meets after any general election and before it proceeds to the despatch of any other business, it shall elect a person to be the Speaker of the Assembly; and if the office of Speaker falls vacant at any time before the next dissolution of Parliament the Assembly shall, as soon as practicable, elect another person to that office.
(2) The Speaker may be elected from among the members of the National Assembly who are not members of the Cabinet or Parliamentary Secretaries or from among persons who are not members of the Assembly but who are qualified for election as a Representative or appointment as a Senator.
(3) When the National Assembly first meets after any general election and before it proceeds to the despatch of any other business except the election of the Speaker the Assembly shall elect a member of the Assembly who is not a member of the Cabinet or a Parliamentary Secretary to be Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, and if the office of Deputy Speaker falls vacant at any time before the next dissolution of Parliament, the Assembly shall, as soon as convenient, elect another such member to that office.
(4) No business shall be transacted in the National Assembly (other than the election of a Speaker) at any time when the office of Speaker is vacant.
(5) A person shall vacate the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker,
(a) in the case of a Speaker elected from among the members of the National Assembly or in the case of the Deputy Speaker,
(i) if he ceases to be a member of the Assembly: Provided that the Speaker shall not vacate his or her office by reason only that he or she has ceased to be a member of the Assembly on a dissolution of Parliament, until the Assembly first meets after the dissolution; or
(ii) if he or she becomes a member of the Cabinet or a Parliamentary Secretary.
(b) in the case of a Speaker elected from among persons who are not members of the Assembly,
(i) when the Assembly first meets after any dissolution of Parliament;
(ii) if he or she ceases to be a citizen; or
(iii) if any circumstances arise that would cause him or her to be disqualified for election as a Representative or appointment as a Senator; or
(c) in the case of the Deputy Speaker, if he or she is elected to be Speaker. (6)(a) If, by virtue of section 31(4), the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker is required to cease to perform his or her functions as a member of the National Assembly he or she shall also cease to perform his or her functions as Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be, and those functions shall, until he or she vacates his or her seat in the Assembly or resumes the performance of the functions of his or her office, be performed,
(i) in the case of the Speaker, by the Deputy Speaker or, if the office of Deputy Speaker is vacant or the Deputy Speaker is required to cease to perform his or her functions as a member of the Assembly, by such member of the Assembly (not being a member of the Cabinet or a Parliamentary Secretary) as the Assembly may elect for the purpose;
(ii) in the case of the Deputy Speaker, by such member of the Assembly (not being a member of the Cabinet or a Parliamentary Secretary) as the Assembly may elect for the purpose. (b) If the Speaker or Deputy Speaker resumes the performance of his or her functions as a member of the Assembly, he or she shall also resume the performance of his or her functions as Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.