17Casual vacancy in office of chairman.N.I.
(1)On a casual vacancy occurring in the office of chairman of a council, the councillors shall elect one of their number to be chairman.
(2)An election under subsection (1) shall be held not later than the next ordinary meeting of the council held after the date on which the vacancy occurs, or if that meeting is held within fourteen days after that date, then not later than the next following ordinary meeting of the council, and shall be the first business transacted at the meeting in question.
(3)A meeting of a council for the purposes of an election under subsection (1) may be convened by the clerk of the council.
(4)A person elected to fill a casual vacancy shall hold office until the date upon which the person in whose place he is elected would regularly have retired, and he shall then retire.