recount to run from the day that it is ordered and to make this period not more than two days. • In addition, the provision allows for results of the re-count to be announced within a five day period from the completion of the re-count. This will mean potentially a further five days from the day the recount is completed before the vote-recount result is declared. This is unnecessary and causes unwarranted delays in the results declaration process. There is no need for allowing a five day period “after the completion of the recount” to declare the re-count result. It is reasonable to expect that once completed, the re-count result should be announced. It is difficult to see any point or rationale for potentially waiting for a further 5 days from completing the recount before the result is declared. It only breeds anxiety, uncertainty and fears of rigging that the statute is trying to minimise. Ideally, the vote-recount must be declared as soon as it is completed – if any limit must be imposed, it should be no more than 24 hours after the completion of the recount. When Does a Person Become President? • Section 110(3)(i) states that the declaration by the Chief Elections Officer shall be final although it can be set aside by the Electoral Court on petition by an aggrieved party. This provision preserves the right to challenge the proceedings relating to the election and/or the result before an impartial judiciary. • Whilst the period of declaration set under paragraph (h) may be necessary to give the maximum time-limit within which a declaration of the result must be made, the primary provision that should guide declarations is paragraph (f) (and paragraph (g) (iii) for the run-off) which requires mandatorily that it should be done “forthwith” after the counting and addition of the votes. As such paragraph (i) should refer not to paragraph (h) but to paragraph (f) (and paragraph (g) (iii) for the run-off). The current reference to paragraph (h) in paragraph (i) only serves to present opportunities for confusion as to when the winner is declared duly elected as president. • Further, on the same reasoning paragraph (j) which requires the Chief Elections Officer as soon 13