PART 3The election campaign

Appointment of election agent37

1

At an Assembly election, not later than the latest time for delivery of notices of withdrawal of candidature, a person shall be named by, or on behalf of—

a

each constituency candidate; and

b

each individual candidate, in the case of a regional election,

as the candidate’s election agent, and the name and address of the candidate’s election agent shall be declared in writing by the candidate, or some other person on his behalf, to the appropriate returning officer not later than that time.

2

A constituency or an individual candidate at a regional election may name himself as election agent.

3

At a regional election, not later than the latest time for delivery of notices of withdrawal of candidature, a person shall be named by, or on behalf of, each registered political party submitting a party list as the election agent for that party in relation to that list, and that person’s name and address shall be declared in writing by or on behalf of that party’s registered nominating officer to the regional returning officer not later than that time.

4

A candidate included on a registered political party’s party list may be named as election agent for that party in relation to that party list.

5

Where a candidate has been named or has named himself as an election agent, so far as circumstances permit, he shall be subject to the provisions of this Order both as a candidate and as an election agent and, except where the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Order to an election agent shall be construed to refer to the candidate acting in his capacity as election agent.

6

One election agent only shall be appointed for—

a

each constituency candidate;

b

each individual candidate at a regional election; and

c

each registered political party that has submitted a party list at a regional election,

but the appointment, whether the election agent appointed be a candidate himself or not, may be revoked.

7

If (whether before, during or after the election) the appointment (or deemed appointment) of an election agent is revoked or an election agent dies, another election agent shall be appointed forthwith and his name and address declared in writing to the appropriate returning officer.

8

The declaration as an election agent of a person other than—

a

a constituency or an individual candidate; or

b

in relation to a registered political party that has submitted a party list, the candidate whose name appears first on the list,

shall be of no effect under this article unless it is made and signed by that person or is accompanied by a written declaration of acceptance signed by him.

9

Upon the name and address of an election agent being declared to the appropriate returning officer—

a

the appropriate returning officer shall forthwith give public notice of that name and address; and

b

in the case of a regional election, the regional returning officer shall forthwith give notice of that name and address to the constituency returning officer for each Assembly constituency in the Assembly electoral region.