The rules define the Leader of the House as the Prime Minister, or a Minister appointed by the Prime Minister to represent the government and regulate government business in the Assembly. The PM may delegate this role to another Minister. The Leader of the House is the government’s floor manager in the Assembly, responsible for the legislative programme.
Why it matters for the National Assembly proceedings?
The Leader of the House is a pivotal figure in the daily operation of parliamentary business. They liaise with the Speaker on the Order of the Day, manage Government business scheduling, and represent the executive in floor negotiations with the opposition. A government that does not have an effective Leader of the House will struggle to manage its legislative programme.
What is in it for citizens?
For citizens tracking parliamentary business, the Leader of the House is the person responsible for what gets debated and when. Whether they negotiate with opposition parties to accommodate their concerns, or use their scheduling power to marginalise non-government business, reflects directly on the quality of parliamentary practice in any given Assembly term.
Source: Rule 2, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007
The proceedings of the National Assembly are governed by the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The current rules were passed on 23 February 2007 and have since been amended 21 times, most recently on 22 October 2024.
This post is part of FAFEN’s series on parliamentary literacy. Read more of this series here.
