specified, that is to say ­ (a) the Vice President or, if his office is vacant or if he is also absent or is ill; then (b) the Prime Minister. (4) Where the Prime Minister is discharging the duties and functions of the office of President by reason that the Vice President is absent, then the Prime Minister shall cease to discharge such duties and functions if any of the following events occurs first ­ (a) the President returns in the United Republic or, his condition improves and reassumes the discharge of the duties and functions of the President; or (b) the Vice President returns in the United Republic. (5) Where the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, loss of electoral qualifications or inability to perform his functions due to physical infirmity or failure to discharge the duties and functions of the office of President, then the Vice-President shall be sworn in and become the President for the unexpired period of the term of five years and in accordance with the conditions set out in Article 40, and, after consultation with the political party to which he belongs, the President shall propose the name of the person who shall be Vice-President and such appointment shall be confirmed by the National Assembly by votes of not less than fifty percentum of all the Members of Parliament. (6) It is hereby declared that the office of the President shall not be deemed to be vacant and the President shall not be deemed to be absent from the United Republic or is unable to discharge his duties if he is­ (a) absent from the town which is the seat of Government of the United Republic; (b) he is absent from the United Republic for a period of twenty four hours; or (c) he is ill but hopes to be better after a short period. (7) Where any of the situations specified in subarticle (6) occurs, and the President deems it appropriate to delegate his powers for the duration of any such situation, then he may give directions in writing for the appointment of any of the persons mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) of subarticle (3) of this Article for the purposes of discharging the functions of the office of President and the person so appointed shall discharge those functions of the office of President in accordance with the terms specified by the President; save that the terms specified in this Article shall be understood not to derogate or prejudice the power of the President under any other law to diminish his functions to any other person in accordance with any other law. (8) The President may direct in writing, if in his opinion it is desirable so to do, any Minister to discharge any functions of President as may be specified and the Minister so directed shall by virtue of the provisions of this subarticle have the power to discharge those functions in accordance with any directions given by President, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law: Provided that­ 27