What Is the National Assembly’s “Formation”? How Are the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, and Standing Committee Chairs Chosen?
After a general election, and again whenever its term is divided into first and second halves, the National Assembly goes through a process known as “formation.” In short, formation means “building the basic framework of the National Assembly as an institution”: it refers to the entire process of electing the presiding officers and deciding which party will take charge of each standing committee and its chair.
| Section | Key summary |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Main context in brief |
| National Assembly presiding officers — 1 Speaker and 2 Deputy Speakers | At a plenary session, members elect one Speaker and two Deputy Speakers by secret ballot |
| Why the allocation of standing committee chairs matters | Chair positions are usually divided in proportion to each party’s number of seats |
| Why negotiations are often delayed | Reason and standard in brief |
| What stops when formation is delayed? | Short key point |
National Assembly presiding officers — 1 Speaker and 2 Deputy Speakers
At a plenary session, members elect one Speaker and two Deputy Speakers by secret ballot. By convention, the Speaker is often chosen from the largest party in the Assembly, while one Deputy Speaker position often goes to the second-largest party. The National Assembly Act bars the Speaker from holding party membership during the term, so the Speaker leaves their party immediately after election. This is a mechanism intended to ensure neutral management of proceedings.
Why the allocation of standing committee chairs matters
Because bills are first reviewed by subject-specific standing committees before reaching the plenary session, who holds the chair is directly tied to control over the legislative agenda. Chair positions are usually divided in proportion to each party’s number of seats. In particular, the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which conducts the final review of the structure and wording of all bills, is called the “gatekeeper” and is the position most fiercely contested by the ruling and opposition parties.
Why negotiations are often delayed
The National Assembly Act provides that the presiding officers should be elected within 7 days of the start of the term, and standing committee chairs within 3 days after that, but these are not compulsory provisions. As a result, when negotiations over key committee chair positions drag on, deadlines have often been missed. If negotiations ultimately fail, the majority party can also handle the matter alone through a vote under the system.
What stops when formation is delayed?
A delay in formation does not bring the National Assembly to a complete halt, but bill reviews and questions on current issues centered on standing committees can be postponed. Procedures that require standing committees, especially budgets, livelihood-related bills, and confirmation hearing schedules, are affected. That is why formation negotiations are not only about dividing internal posts, but are also linked to the speed of National Assembly operations.
When reading articles about formation, it is easier to understand the issue if you look not only at which party is demanding which chair position, but also at what bills and government ministries that standing committee handles.