---

13.Election of Speaker

1. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of Speaker, whether as a result of a dissolution or otherwise, the House shall, as soon as there is a quorum, proceed to elect a Speaker from persons who are not Members of the House but who are qualified to be Members of the House.

2. The Secretary-General shall preside over the election of a Speaker and for that purpose shall have all his powers.

3. Any Member, having first ascertained that the person to be proposed is willing to serve if elected may, addressing himself to the Secretary-General, propose such person as Speaker and move formally "That (naming the person) do take the Chair of the House as Speaker". The proposal shall require to be seconded formally but no debate shall be allowed except that the proposer may give a brief account of the nominees credentials.

4. If only one person is so proposed, he shall be declared by the Secretary-General to have been elected.

5. If more than one person is so proposed, the House shall proceed to elect a Speaker by ballot.

6. For the purpose of a ballot an officer of the House shall give to each Member present a ballot paper on which the Member may write the name of the person for whom he wishes to vote. Each ballot paper shall be folded so that the name written thereon shall not be seen.

7. The ballot papers shall be collected by an officer of the House and counted at the Table by the Secretary-General. The Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister shall appoint a member each as scrutineers at the commencement of the ballot. The Secretary-General shall then declare the person receiving the greatest number of votes to be elected.

8. Where at any ballot the votes are equal, another ballot shall be held. In the event of the votes still being equal after a second ballot, the election shall be determined by drawing of lots in such manner as the Secretary-General shall decide.

9. At the conclusion of a ballot the Secretary-General shall, in tile presence of the scrutineers, destroy the ballot papers

14.Election of Deputy Speaker

The election of the Deputy Speaker shall take place in like manner to that of the Speaker, except that the Speaker shall preside, and shall be held immediately after Members have taken the Oath or made Affirmation:

Provided that if for any reason such election cannot then be held it shall take place at the first convenient sitting of the new Parliament immediately after the confirmation of Minutes.

15.Presiding in the House

1. There shall preside at any sitting of the House or of a Committee of the whole House:
   1. The Speaker

   2. In the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker

   3. In the absence of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker such other Member of the House, not being a Minister whom the House may elect for the purpose.

2. If both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are absent the Secretary-General shall announce the fact at the beginning of the sitting whereupon the House shall elect a Member pursuant to the preceding paragraph.

3. The election of a Member pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Order shall take place in like manner to that of the Speaker, shall be valid only for the duration of the sitting or sittings for which he was elected and shall confer upon him all the powers exercised by the Speaker when presiding in the House or a committee of the whole House.

16.Duties of the Secretary-General

1. The Secretary-General shall be responsible for keeping the Minutes of proceedings of the House and of Committees of the whole House. The Minutes of proceedings shall record in respect of every sitting of the House, the attendance of Members, all decisions taken and details of every division held. The Secretary shall circulate to all Members copies of the Minutes which shall be confirmed at the next sitting.

2. The Secretary-General shall be responsible for preparing from day to day an Order Book showing all future business of which notice has been given. The Order Book shall be open to the inspection of Members at all reasonable hours.

3. The Secretary-General shall be responsible for preparing for each sitting an Order Paper showing all items of business for that sitting of which notice has been given.

4. The Secretary-General shall be responsible for the custody of the Order Book, Votes, Records, Bills and other documents laid before the House which shall be open to inspection by Members of the House at all reasonable hours.

5. The Secretary-General shall be responsible, under the direction of the Speaker, for the production of an official report of all speeches made in the House and in committee of the whole House.

6. The Secretary-General shall be responsible for providing every select committee with a Secretary, and with a shorthand writer when the committee is to take oral evidence.

7. The Secretary-General shall be responsible for the conduct of all messages between the two Houses and for the presentation of bills to the President for his Assent.

8. The Secretary-General shall perform any further duties laid upon him in these Orders and all other duties in the service of the House ordered by the House or directed by the Speaker.