Ideal House speaker is neutral, experienced law graduate: pollMost people think the House speaker must be able to work with all parties with neutrality, according to the result of an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll. More than a quarter of respondents believed the speaker should be an experienced MP who graduated in law. The poll was conducted on June 27-29 by telephone interviews with 1,310 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country to compile their opinions on the selection of the House speaker, head of the legislative branch, to be held on July 4. Asked about the qualities they wanted to see in the person holding the post of House speaker, with respondents allowed to choose more than one answer, the replies varied as follows:• 76.72% - must be able to work with all political parties with neutrality• 28.63% - should have served many times as an MP• 26.34% - should be a law graduate• 24.89% - must be acceptable to MPs• 16.41% - must be from a party in the government• 15.95% - must not necessaily be from the same party as the prime minister• 15.65% - must not necessaily be from the party with the most MPs• 14.05% - can be from either the government or opposition bloc• 13.36% - must be from the party with the most MPs• 10.92% - must not necessarily be a law graduate• 7.10% - must be from the same party as the prime minister• 6.56% - any MP can take the position• 2.90% - must be able to push through draft legislation proposed by his or her party• 0.46% - must be from a party in the opposition blocAsked how MPs should vote to select the House speaker, 52.44% said they should follow a decision reached internally by their own party prior to the selection process; 47.10% said MPs should be allowed to vote freely; and 0.46% had no answer or were not interested.
