7. (1) The Speaker shall be elected by the Members from among their number on rotational basis.
(2) No business shall be transacted in the House other than an election of the Speaker at any time the office of the Speaker is vacant.
(3) The names of candidates for election to the office of Speaker shall be entered upon nomination papers obtained from and handed to the Clerk at least forty-eight hours before the time appointed at which the House is to meet to elect a Speaker and shall be accompanied in each case by the signatures of two Members who support the candidate and a declaration by them that the candidate is willing to serve.
(4) No Member shall be proposed as a Speaker unless that Member has given his or her consent to the nomination in writing and handed to the Clerk.
(5) Subject to sub-rule 8 of this rule, the election of a Speaker shall be by secret ballot.
(6) The Clerk shall preside at the election of a Speaker.
(7) At an election of a Speaker the Clerk shall invite nominations from Members present.
(8) If only one person is nominated, he or she shall be declared elected and conducted to the Chair.
(9) Voting shall be in the following manner:
a. the Clerk shall prepare, at least one hour before the meeting of the House, ballot papers upon which shall be shown the names of all candidates validly nominated under paragraph 3 of this rule, and shall issue not more than one such paper to each Member who comes to the Table to obtain but a Member who before the conclusion of a ballot has marked his or her paper in error, may by returning it to the Clerk obtain another in its place, and Clerk shall immediately cancel and destroy the paper so returned.
b. After all Members who wish to vote have voted, the Clerk shall, in full view of the Members present, empty the ballot box and immediately count the ballot papers contained in it;
c. Upon completion of counting, the Clerk shall announce the result of the ballot specifying:-
(i) the total number of ballot papers contained in the ballot box;
(ii) the total number of Members who have abstained from voting;
(iii) the number of both spoilt and blank papers; and
(iv) the number of votes obtained by each nominee;
d. A Member shall not be elected as Speaker unless he or she is supported by votes of two-thirds of all Members of the House and if no candidate is supported by the votes of two-thirds of all Members a further ballot shall be held between the first two candidates.
And if in the second ballot no candidate is supported by the votes of two-thirds of all Members, the candidate who in that ballot receives the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.
e. A candidate may by written notice to the Clerk, withdraw his or her name before a ballot is started, and in the event of such withdrawal, the Clerk shall delete the name of that candidate from any ballot papers issued for that or any subsequent ballot;
(10) Immediately following the election of a Speaker, the Clerk shall administer to a person elected Oath or Affirmation of Office.