14th Conference of Commonwealth Speakers

The Hon. Myriam Spiteri Debono, Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, returned to Malta on Monday, 12th January 1998, after havingattended the 14th Conference of Commonwealth Speakers held in Trinidad betweenthe 6th and 11th January 1998.

During the first session, chaired by the Hon Hector McClean,Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Hon Myriam Spiteri Debono was electedone of two Vice-Chairpersons for the Conference. She was nominated by SpeakerGinwala of South Africa and seconded by Hon Wasim Sajjad, Chairman of theSenate of Pakistan.

The main topics on the Conference agenda included:-

1. Problems at voting time;
2. Election of the Speaker by Secret Ballot;
3. Speaker's Relationship with the Ruling Party;
4. Security of the Parliament Buildings;
5. The Use of Technology to Support the More Effective Functioning of Parliament; and
6. The Sub Judice Convention.

Another item on the agenda was the approval of the Standing Rulesof the Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers as amended bythe Standing Committee in Cape Town, South Africa inJanuary 1997. With particular reference to an increase in the number ofrepresentatives from the Africa region, theHon Spiteri Debono moved an amendment to the effect that the Standing Committeemay co-opt up to five members from the membership of the Conference in orderthat the Standing Committee represents in a more equitable manner the variousregions forming the Commonwealth. The amendment was agreed to unanimously.

The 15th Conference of Commonwealth Speakers andPresiding Officers will be held in Australia in January of the year2000.