Procedure for the Election of a Speaker

Following the announcement of the resignation of Mr William Hay MLA, the Business Committee has agreed to schedule an Election of Speaker on:

Monday 13 October 2014.

The election will be conducted using the procedures set out in Standing Order 4 guided by Assembly precedent and Business Committee decisions.

Procedure for Election of Speaker

1.  The election will take place immediately after the Motion of thanks to the Speaker.

2.  The Chair will be taken by an Acting Speaker who will preside over the election.

3.  The Acting Speaker will be the oldest Member present who is not seeking election as Speaker.

4.  The Acting Speaker will commence by asking for proposals.

5.  Any Member may propose another Member but the proposal must be seconded.

6.  If more than one Member rises to make a proposal, the Acting Speaker will look to the largest party first, in accordance with Assembly precedent.

7.  The Acting Speaker will then ask for the proposal to be seconded by another Member.

8.  If the proposal is not seconded, there is no valid nomination.

9.  Once seconded, the Acting Speaker will verify the candidate is willing to accept the nomination.

10. The Acting Speaker will then invite further proposals and proceed through points 6-9 for each.

11. When there are no further proposals, the Acting Speaker will indicate that the time for proposals has passed and a debate may then take place.

12. Members should indicate their intention to speak, to the Business Office in the usual way.

13. A Member may not speak more than once.

14. Each Member who wishes to speak will be allowed up to 3 minutes.

15. There will be no time limit on the debate.

16.  At the conclusion of the debate, the Acting Speaker will put the question that the candidate first proposed shall be Speaker of the Assembly.

17. The vote will be on a cross-community basis. Any dissenting voices will result in a division.

18. If the question is not carried, the Acting Speaker will put the question in relation to the next candidate and so on, until a candidate is elected or all nominations are exhausted.

19. Once a Speaker is elected, all other nominations automatically fall.

20. If a Speaker is elected, he/she will be invited to take the Chair.

21. If a Speaker is not elected, the Deputy Speakers shall chair the meetings of the Assembly in turn until a Speaker is elected and the Business Committee will consider the scheduling of a further election.