PART V PROCEDURE IN PARLIAMENT 125 Person presiding in Senate The person presiding at any sitting of the Senate must be— (a) the President of the Senate or, in his or her absence, the Deputy President of the Senate; or (b) in the absence of the President or Deputy President of the Senate, a Senator elected for the purpose by the Senate, but that Senator must not be a Vice President, a Minister or Provincial Governor. 126 Person presiding in National Assembly The person presiding at any sitting of the National Assembly must be (a) the Speaker or, in his or her absence, the Deputy Speaker; or (b) in the absence of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker, a Member of the National Assembly elected for the purpose by the National Assembly, but that Member must not be a Vice-President or a Minister. 127 Person presiding at joint sittings of Parliament The Speaker or, in his or her absence, the President of the Senate must preside at any joint sitting of the Senate and the National Assembly. 128 Quorum in Parliament The Senate and the National Assembly must prescribe in Standing Orders the minimum number of members who must be present for the conduct of business. 129 Decisions of Parliament Except where this Constitution provides otherwise— (a) all questions before each House are to be decided by a majority of the votes cast; (b) the Speaker, the President of the Senate or anyone else presiding at a meeting of either House has no vote, either deliberative or casting, on any issue before the House; (c) if the votes in either House are equally divided on any motion, the motion is lost. 130 Right of Vice-Presidents, Ministers and Attorney-General to sit and speak in either House (1) Vice-Presidents and Ministers may sit and speak in either House, but they do not have a right to vote in a House of which they are not members. (2) The Attorney-General has the right to sit and speak, but not to vote, in either House. 131 Presidential addresses and messages to Parliament (1) The President may at any time address either House or a joint sitting of both Houses. (2) At least once a year the President must address a joint sitting of the Senate and the National Assembly on the state of the nation, and the President of the Senate and the Speaker must make the necessary arrangements for Parliament to receive such an address. - 55 -