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SRI LANKA
Parliament
PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENT

Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Presidency module

Parliament name Parliament
Structure of parliament Unicameral
APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE
Title Speaker of Parliament
Term - duration: 6 years (term of House)
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death, dissolution of the Parliament, loss of mandate as Member of Parliament
Appointment - elected by all Members of Parliament
- election held at the first meeting of the Parliament, after general elections
- before Members are sworn in
Eligibility - any Member of the Parliament can be candidate
Voting system - formal vote by secret ballot
- simple majority
- several rounds are held when there are many candidates
- if more than one round is held, candidates with the smallest number of votes shall be excluded until one candidate obtains more votes than the remaining candidate

Procedures / results - the Secretary General presides over the Parliament during the voting
- the Secretary General supervises the voting
- the Secretary General announces the results without any delay
- the results can be challenged within one calendar month
STATUS
Status - ranks third in the hierarchy of the State
- in the absence of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister the Speaker may be called upon as acting Head of State
- represents the Parliament in international bodies
- is president ex officio of different committees
- in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker can assume his/her role and functions, in the absence of both of them, the Deputy Chairman of Committee can do it, if none of them is present, a Member elected by the Parliament presides over the sitting

Board
Material facilities - allowance
- official residence
- official car
- additional staff
- domestic staff
- secretariat
- body guards

FUNCTIONS
Organization of parliamentary business - establishes and modifies the agenda in consultation with the Party Leaders and the Business Committee
- organizes the debates and sets speaking time with the assistance of the Business Committee
- refers texts to a committee for study
- examines the admissibility of request for setting up committees and/or committees of enquiry, proposes or decides on the setting up of such committees
- can appoint some committees and/or their presiding officers

Chairing of public sittings - can open, adjourn and close sittings
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- makes announcements concerning theParliament
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- grants 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
- checks the quorum

Special powers the Secretary General:
- is responsible for establishing the Parliament's budget
- recruits and assigns staff with the approval of the Speaker
- organizes the services of Parliament with the approval of the Speaker
- the President of the Republic appoints the Secretary General
- is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments
- is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Parliament
Speaking and voting rights, other functions - provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion
- takes part in voting when the votes are equal
- intervenes in the parliamentary oversight procedure
- issues a certificate when a bill has been passed by the Parliament, so that it becomes a law

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