Article 139. Death before assuming office
Official Constitutional Text
139. (1) If a President-elect dies after being declared elected as President, but before assuming office—
(a) the Deputy President-elect shall be sworn in as acting President on the date on which the President-elect would otherwise have been sworn-in; and
(b) a fresh election to the office of President shall be held within sixty days after the death of the President-elect.
(2) If the Deputy President-elect dies before assuming office, the office of the Deputy President shall be declared vacant on the assumption of office by the person declared elected as the President.
(3) If both the persons declared elected as the President and the Deputy President die before assuming office—
(a) the Speaker of the National Assembly shall act as President from the date on which the President-elect would otherwise have been sworn-in; and
(b) a fresh presidential election shall be conducted within sixty days after the second death.
Plain English Explanation
This is a simplified summary to explain this article in clear language. It is not the legal text of the Constitution.
Article 139 details what happens if the newly elected leaders pass away before taking their official oath of office. If the President-elect dies, the Deputy President-elect takes over temporarily as Acting President, and a brand-new presidential election must be held within 60 days. If only the Deputy President-elect dies, the new President takes office as scheduled and declares the deputy's position vacant so a replacement can be chosen. If both the President-elect and Deputy President-elect die before being sworn in, the Speaker of the National Assembly steps in as Acting President, and a fresh national election for both positions must be conducted within 60 days.