Section 10, The Rural Area (2) This Ordinance shall come into operation on the first day of January, 1950, or

The chairman of a local authority may from time totime appoint any member of such local authority to act as deputy president or deputy chairman, as the case rna y be, in the event of and during the illness or absence from duty of the chairman. (2) The chairman may terminate any such appointment at any time in like manner. (3) Any such appointment or the termination thereof shall be recorded in the minutes of the local authority. (4) A deputy, appointed under this section, may while acting as such, do all acts which the person for whom he is acting, might do provided that a deputy president shall not by virtue of his office act as a Justice. Qualifications 11. (1) Subject to the provision of sub-section (2) of this f::tmbers of section, a person shall be qualified for election as a member of authority. a local authority if he- 22 of 1957· (a) is entitled to be registered as a voter under this Disqualification for membership of Council. 22 of 1957. Ordinance and his name is on the Register of Voters for any village area of that local authority; and (b) except in the case of a village committee, is literate in the English language. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-section (1) of this section, a person shall be disqualified for election as a member of a local authority and if a member his seat shall become vacant- (a) if he is an alien; or (b) if and while he holds any office or place of profit in the gift or disposal of the local authority save as provided in sections 86, 91 and 94; or (c) if he is under sentence of death or is serving, or has within the immediately preceding five years completed the serving of, a sentence of imprisonment (including a sentence of preventive detention or corrective training) without the option of a fine, of or exceeding twelve months imposed by a court in Sierra Leone for any felony or for any offence involving dishonesty and has not received a free pardon; or (d) if he is a lunatic so found under the laws for the time being in force in Sierra Leone; or (e) if and while he has, directly or indirectly, by himself or a partner any share or interest in any contract or employment with, by or on behalf of the local authority, and has not (i) if he is a candidate for election, published within one one month before the day of election in some newspaper circulating in the Colony a notice setting out the nature of his share or interest in such contract or employment; or (ii) if he is a member of a local authority, as soon as possible disclosed that interest to that local authority; or {f) if he is disqualified from membership of a local authority under any law for the time being in force in Sierra Leone relating to offence connected with elections: Provided that a person shall not be disqualified by reason of his being interested in- (i) any sale, purchase or lease of land to or from the local authority; or (ii) any newspaper in which any notice or advertisement relating to the affairs of the local authority is inserted; or (iii) any agreement with the local authority for the loan of money, or any security for the payment of money by the local authority; or (iv) any company which contracts with the local authority for lighting or supplying water, or insuring against fire any property of the local authority; or (v) any company incorporated by, or under, an Act of Parliament, Ordinance or Royal Charter. {3) The seat of a member of a local authority shall also become vacant- (a) upon his death; or (b) if by writing addressed to the Chairman of the local authority, he resigns his seat in the local authority; or (c) if without leave of the Chairman, he is absent for a period of six consecutive months from the meetings of the local authority; or (d) if he ceases to be qualified under sub-section (I) of this section. (4) When the seat of a member of a local authority becomes vacant the President of the Rural Area Council shall forthwith declare the seat of such member to be vacant, and shall forthwith notify the Minister and such member, if practicable, of such declaration of vacancy: Provided that a member whose seat shall have been declared vacant under this sub-section may, within fourteen days after the date of being notified of such declaration, apply to a Judge When member's seat to become vacant. Filling of casual vacancies. Defaulting in Chambers to have such declaration set aside. Notice of the intention to make such application and the grounds thereof shall be given to the President of the Rural Area Council within seven days after such declaration. The Order of the Judge in Chambers as to the disaualification or otherwise of the member shall be final and concl~sive.