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Pro tem Speaker for Lok Sabha: The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will run from June 24 to July 3. The new Lok Sabha Speaker will also be elected in this session. There are many speculations in political circles about the post of Assembly Speaker. It is being claimed that the BJP-led NDA government will retain the post of Speaker. The Protem Speaker will preside over the proceedings of the Lok Sabha until the Speaker is elected. He will also administer the oath to the newly elected Lok Sabha members. Know how the Protem Speaker is elected…
What is the work of the pro tem speaker?
As the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha, the Speaker has to perform several important duties related to day-to-day proceedings. Article 94 of the Constitution of India states – “Whenever the House of the People is dissolved, the Speaker shall not vacate his office until the first meeting of the House after the dissolution.” In the 18th Lok Sabha, a pro tem Speaker will be elected to conduct the proceedings of the House until a new Speaker is elected. The word 'pro-tem' is derived from the Latin pro-tempore, which means 'temporarily' or 'provisionally'.
What does the Constitution say?
There is no provision for a post like Protem Speaker in the Parliament in the Constitution of India. The Protem Speaker is appointed temporarily until a permanent Speaker is elected. Although the post of Protem Speaker is not mentioned in the Constitution, the appointment and swearing-in of the Protem Speaker is mentioned in the official handbook of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
How is the Pro Tem Speaker selected?
The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs' handbook states that when the post of Speaker falls vacant before a new Lok Sabha is constituted, “a member appointed by the President for the purpose of Pro Tem Speaker shall perform the duties of Speaker.” According to the handbook, usually the most senior member of the House (based on the number of years of membership) is chosen for this purpose, though there are some exceptions.
The main job of the pro tem speaker is to administer the oath to new MPs. Under Article 99 of the Constitution, “Every member of a House shall, before taking his seat, make and subscribe before the President or such person as he may appoint for that purpose, oath in the form set out in the Third Schedule to the Constitution.” The other three elected members of the Lok Sabha are also appointed by the President and MPs take oath before them.
What is the role of the government?
As soon as a new government is formed, the Legislative Department of the Government of India prepares a list of the senior-most Lok Sabha members. It is submitted to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs or the Prime Minister, from whom one MP is appointed as the Pro-tem Speaker and the other three members are sworn in.
Why is Congress's claim on Protem Speaker strong?
If we look at the handbook of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Congress has a claim for the post of Protem Speaker. Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh is the most senior member of the 18th Lok Sabha. He has been elected MP for the eighth time. Because of this, he can become the Protem Speaker and he can get the responsibility of administering oath to the new MPs. In 2019, Maneka Gandhi was the most senior member, but due to some inconveniences, she could not take charge of the Protem Speaker. After this, Virendra Kumar, who was elected MP for the seventh time, was made the Protem Speaker.
