Pro tem speaker's appointment among early tasks

The appointment of the pro tem speaker and election of speaker will be among the early tasks before the party or alliance that comes to power after the Lok Sabha results are declared Friday.

Lok Sabha Secretary General P. Sreedharan told media persons Thursday that President Pranab Mukherjee will appoint the pro tem speaker, who will then administer oath to the newly-elected members.

The name of pro tem speaker is decided by the ruling party or alliance and sent to the president through the ministry of parliamentary affairs.

Sreedharan said that the government also recommends "two-three names" to assist the pro tem speaker in getting new members sworn in.

As per norms, the pro tem speaker is the longest serving member of the house or one of its very senior members.

In the outgoing house, Congress member Manikrao Gavit, who was into his ninth Lok Sabha term, was appointed the pro tem speaker.

Communist Party of India-Marxist member Basudeb Acharia will be the longest serving member in the 16th Lok Sabha if he is re-elected.

Acharia was also in his ninth term in the outgoing Lok Sabha.

Union minister Kamal Nath was in his eighth term in the 15th Lok Sabha.

Officials said the dates for convening the parliament session will be decided by the new government.

They said the process of oath-taking takes about two days and the house then elects its speaker. Following the election of the speaker, the president addresses the joint sitting of the two houses of parliament.

However, if there is a hung verdict, the president may ask the new government to prove its majority in the lower house by a stipulated date and then address the joint sitting.

The term of the 15th Lok Sabha will end May 31 as its first sitting was held June 1, 2009. However, the president might dissolve it earlier.

Unlike the appointment of pro-tem speaker, the process of electing the speaker can witness a contest between the ruling party and the opposition.- IANS