Rule 13 : Time of Office of the Members
1. The term of office of the members of the Commission elected on July 1987 shall begin on that date. The
term of office of the members of the Commission elected at subsequent elections shall take effect the day
following the expiry date of the term of office of the members of the Commission they shall replace.
2. However, if a member is reelected at the expiry of his or her term of office, or elected to replace a
member whose term of office has expired or will expire, the term of office shall begin from the expiry date.
3. In conformity with 3 of the Charter, the member elected to replace a member whose term of office has
not expired, shall complete the term of office of his or her predecessor, unless the remaining term of office
is less than six (6) months. In the latter case, there shall be no replacement.
Rule 14 : Cessation of Functions
1. If in the unanimous opinion of the members of the Commission, a member has stopped discharging his
duties for any reason other than a temporary absence, the Chairman of the Commission shall inform the
Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity, who shall then declare the seat vacant.
2. In the case of the demise or resignation of a member of the Commission, the Chairman shall
immediately inform the Secretary-General who shall declare the seat vacant from the date of the demise or
from that on which the resignation took effect. The member of the Commission who resigns shall address a
written notification of his or her resignation directly to the Chairman or to the Secretary-General and steps
to declare his or her seat vacant shall only be taken after receiving the said notification. The resignation
shall make the seat vacant.
Rule 15 : Vacant Seat
Every seat declared vacant in conformity with Rule 15 of the present Rules of Procedure shall be filled on
the basis of 39 of the Charter.
Rule 16 : Oath
Before coming into office, every member of the Commission shall make the following solemn commitment
at a public sitting:
"I swear to carry out my duties well and faithfully in all impartiality".
Chapter IV: Officers
Rule 17 : Election of Officers
1. The Commission shall elect among its members a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman.
2. The elections referred to in the present Rule shall be held by secret ballot. Only the members present
shall vote, the member who shall obtain the two-thirds majority of the votes of the members present and
voting shall be elected.
3. If no member obtains this two thirds majority, a second and third and fourth ballot shall be held. The
member having the largest number of votes at the fifth ballot shall be elected.
4. The officers of the Commission shall be elected for a period of two (2) years. They shall be re-eligible.
None of them, may, however, exercise his or her functions if he or she ceases to be a member of the
Commission.
Rule 18 : Powers of the Chairman
The Chairman shall carry out the functions assigned to him by the Charter, the Rules of Procedure and the
decisions of the Commission. In the exercise of his functions, the Chairman shall be under the authority of
the Commission.
Rule 19 : Absence of the Chairman
The Vice-Chairman shall replace the Chairman during a session if the latter is unable to attend a whole or
part of a sitting of a session.
Rule 20 : Functions of the Vice-Chairman
The Vice-Chairman, acting in the capacity of the Chairman, shall have the same rights and the same duties
as the Chairman.
Rule 21 : Cessation of the Functions of an Officer
If any of the officers ceases to carry out his or her functions or declares that he or she is no longer able to
exercise the functions of a member of the Commission or is no longer in a position for one reason or
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