The speaker of the Parliament of Singapore is the head officer of the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore. The role of the Speaker in Singapore is similar to that in most Commonwealth legislatures. The Speaker presides over the Parliament and enforces the rules in the Standing Orders of Parliament to allow for the orderly conduct of parliamentary business. The Speaker may or may not be an elected Member of Parliament (MP). Speakers that are MPs must remain impartial and cannot participate in parliamentary debates nor vote on issues and motions in the House.