ZIMBABWE

PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENT
 
Chamber:
  House of Assembly


APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE

Title:
  Speaker of the Parliament
 
Term:
  - duration: 5 years (term of House)
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death, dissolution of the Parliament, incapacity
 
Appointment:
  - elected by all Members of the Parliament
- after Members are sworn in
 
Eligibility:
  - any one who is not a Member or any Member of the Parliament can be elected
 
Voting system:
  - formal vote by secret ballot
- absolute majority is required
 
Procedures / results:
  - the Secretary to Parliament presides over the House during the voting
- the Secretary to Parliament supervises the voting
- the Secretary to Parliament announces the results without any delay
- the results cannot be challenged
 

STATUS
 
Status:
  - position equivalent to a Cabinet Minister
- represents the Assembly with the public authorities
- is president ex officio of the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders and the Parliamentary Library Committee
- in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker can assume his/her role and functions
 
Board:
 
 
Material facilities:
  - allowance
- official car
- secretariat
- body guards
- domestic staff

FUNCTIONS
 
Organization of parliamentary business:
  - organizes the debates and sets speaking time
 
Chairing of public sittings:
  - makes announcements concerning the House
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak
- calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities
- authenticates the adopted texts and the records of debates
- has discretionary power to give the floor outside the agenda and thus organizes impromptu debates
The Leader of the House:
- opens, adjourns and closes sittings
- establishes the order in which amendments are taken up - selects which amendments are to be debated
 
Special powers:
  - is consulted for the recruitment, assignment and promotion of the staff
- appoints the Clerk with the approval of the House
- appoints Internal Arrangements Committee
- is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments
 
Speaking and voting rights, other functions:
  - provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion
- intervenes in the parliamentary oversight procedure
- issues a certificate to the President of the Republic indicating that the constitutional procedures have been complied with


Choose one of the thematic modules below for further information grouped by category. Alternatively, you can access the full text of the PARLINE data about this parliament (downloading will take longer).
General Information | Electoral System
Last Elections | Parliamentary Mandate | Full text  | Parliamentary Oversight
PARLINE database: new search

Copyright © 1996-2007 Inter-Parliamentary Union