Article 141. Assumption of office of President
Official Constitutional Text
141. (1) The swearing in of the President-elect shall be in public before the Chief Justice, or, in the absence of the Chief Justice, the Deputy Chief Justice.
(2) The President-elect shall be sworn in on the first Tuesday following—
(a) the fourteenth day after the date of the declaration of the result of the presidential election, if no petition has been filed under Article 140; or
(b) the seventh day following the date on which the court renders a decision declaring the election to be valid, if any petition has been filed under Article 140.
(3) The President-elect assumes office by taking and subscribing the oath or affirmation of allegiance, and the oath or affirmation for the execution of the functions of office, as prescribed in the Third Schedule.
(4) Parliament shall by legislation provide for the procedure and ceremony for the swearing-in of a President-elect.
Plain English Explanation
This is a simplified summary to explain this article in clear language. It is not the legal text of the Constitution.
Article 141 details exactly when and how the winning candidate officially becomes President. The ceremony must be held in public, where the President-elect takes an oath of allegiance and office before the Chief Justice or the Deputy Chief Justice. If no one challenges the election results in court, the swearing-in takes place on the first Tuesday after 14 days have passed since the victory announcement. If a court challenge does happen and the Supreme Court declares the election valid, the ceremony happens on the first Tuesday after seven days have passed since that court decision. Finally, Parliament is responsible for creating the specific laws that guide the entire swearing-in procedure and ceremony.