73.—(1) This rule applies if—
(a)at a contested constituency election proof is given to the constituency returning officer’s satisfaction before the result of the election is declared that one of the persons named or to be named in the ballot paper has died; and
(b)that person is standing in the name of a registered political party.
(2) The returning officer must—
(a)countermand notice of the poll; or
(b)if polling has begun, direct that the poll be abandoned.
(3) At an Assembly general election, the constituency returning officer must forthwith notify the regional returning officer for the region containing that constituency that notice of the poll at that constituency election has been countermanded or, as the case may be, that the poll has been abandoned and that no member is returned for that constituency.
(4) The proceedings with reference to the election must be commenced afresh subject to the following provisions of this rule.
(5) A new notice of the election (“the new notice”) must be published on the first working day after the end of the period of seven days starting on the day the proof of death is given to the constituency returning officer.
(6) No fresh nomination is necessary in the case of a person shown in the previous statement of persons nominated as standing nominated.
(7) No other nomination may be made except for a person standing in the name of the same registered political party in whose name the deceased candidate was standing.
(8) The last day on which a nomination mentioned in paragraph (7) may be delivered is the seventh working day after the day on which the new notice of the election is published.
(9) The last day on which a notice of withdrawal of candidature by a person who stands nominated by virtue of paragraph (6) or in pursuance of paragraph (7) may be delivered is the seventh working day after the day on which the new notice of the election is published.
(10) Subject to paragraphs (11) and (12) the poll must be held on a day in the period (“the first period”) which starts 15 working days after the day on which the new notice is published and ends 19 working days after that day.
(11) If any of the days within the first period is Maundy Thursday, then—
(a)the poll must not be held on Maundy Thursday; but
(b)the constituency returning officer may fix the day of the poll to be held in the period which starts 20 working days after the day on which the new notice is published and ends 24 working days after that day.
(12) If any of the days within the first period is a day in the period which starts with 22nd December and ends with 2nd January following, the constituency returning officer may fix the day of the poll to be held in the period which starts 20 working days after the day on which the new notice is published and ends 24 working days after that day.
(13) For the purposes of this rule—
(a)a person stands in the name of a registered political party if his nomination paper contains a description which is authorised as mentioned in rule 5(1) or (3) and where the description is authorised under rule 5(3), references to “party” shall be construed as referring to each party by whom use of that description is authorised;
(b)a working day is a day which is not specified in rule 2(a) to (d); and
(c)“previous statement of person nominated” means the statement of persons nominated in operation at the time of the death of the person standing in the name of the registered political party.