33 Deputy Speaker
(1) The Legislative Assembly may elect a member of the Assembly, not being the Speaker or a Minister, to be Deputy Speaker.
(2) The Deputy Speaker may at any time resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, and shall vacate his office—
- (a) On the dissolution of the Assembly next following his election; or
- (b) If he ceases to be a member of the Assembly; or
- (c) If he becomes a Minister; or
- (d) If he is elected Speaker.
(3) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly, the functions conferred by this Constitution or those Standing Orders upon the Speaker shall, if there is no person holding the office of Speaker or if the Speaker is absent from the Cook Islands or is otherwise unable to perform those functions, be performed by the Deputy Speaker.
34 Procedure
(1) The Speaker, or in his absence the Deputy Speaker, shall preside over sittings of the Legislative Assembly. In the absence from any sitting of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, the members present shall choose one of their number (not being a Minister) to preside over that sitting.
(2) Subject to the provisions of Article 41 hereof and of subclause (3) of this Article, every question before the Legislative Assembly shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present.
(3) The person presiding over any sitting of the Assembly shall not have a deliberative vote, but in case of an equality of votes, he shall have a casting vote.
(4) No business shall be transacted at any sitting of the Assembly if the number of members present (excluding the Speaker if he is a member) is less than twelve.
(5) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Legislative Assembly may from time to time make, amend, and repeal Standing Orders for the regulation and orderly conduct of its proceedings and the despatch of business.
(6) The Legislative Assembly shall not be disqualified for the transaction of business by reason of any vacancy among its members, including any vacancy not filled at a general election, and any proceedings therein shall be valid notwithstanding that some person who was not entitled to do so sat or voted in the Assembly or otherwise took part in the proceedings.
35 Languages
(1) All debates and discussions in the Legislative Assembly shall be conducted in the Maori language as spoken in Rarotonga and also in the English language.
