Section 277: Elections to local authorities

(1) Elections of councillors of local authorities must be held—

    (a) in the case of a general election of mayors and councillors, concurrently with a general

election of Members of Parliament and the President;

    (b) in the case of an election, other than a general election, to fill one or more casual

vacancies, as soon as practicable after the vacancies have occurred.

(2) Elections of mayors and chairpersons of local authorities, other than mayors or chairpersons on whom executive powers have been conferred under section 274(5), must be held at the first sitting of the councils concerned following a general election.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) or an Act of Parliament, mayors, chairpersons and councillors of local authorities assume office on the ninth day after the announcement of the results of the general election in which the councillors were elected.

(4) An Act of Parliament may provide for the election, by a system of proportional representation referred to in subsection (5), of at least thirty per centum of the total members of the local council elected on ward basis as women.

[Subsection inserted by s. 20 of Act No. 2 of 2021]

(5) Elections to local authority councils must be conducted in accordance with the Electoral Law, which must ensure that the persons referred to in subsection (4) are elected under a party list system of proportional representation which is based on the votes casts for candidates representing political parties in the local authority concerned in the general election for members of the local authority.

[Subsection inserted by s. 20 of Act No. 2 of 2021]