The President of the Commonwealth of Sainte Genevieve is the highest elected office in the Commonwealth, and the president functions as head of state. Though he or she does hold some executive powers, the President delegates most of these to the State Council via the Prime Minister. The Office of President is outlined in Section 2 of the Constitution. According to Article 12, the President must live in or near Rossport.
Duties of the President[]
- The President appoints public officials and Ministers.
- The President signs into law the bills passed by Parliament. A presidential rejection (veto) of a bill does not nullify that bill; a referendum to approve or reject the bill must be held in a timely manner.
- The President concludes treaties with other states, but must have Parliamentary approval to make a treaty entailing renouncement of, or servitude on, territory or territorial waters.
- The President may adjourn sessions of Parliament for a limited period, and also may convene Parliament if sessions have already adjourned.
- The President may dissolve Parliament. New elections must be called within 45 days, and the new Parliament must convene within 60 days.
- The President may submit potential legislative measures to Parliament for consideration. The President may also make provisional laws when Parliament is not in session, provided they do not contradict the Constitution. Provisional laws must be submitted to Parliament as soon as it reconvenes.
Presidential Elections[]
A presidential candidate can be nominated in one of three ways:
- A nomination by at least one-fourth of the current members of Parliament.
- A sitting President can nominate himself for reelection, provided he has not previously served the maximum of two terms or twelve years in that office.
- A nomination by at least three county/city councils.
To be elected President, a candidate must also be at least thirty-five years of age, and fulfill the requirements necessary to vote in Parliamentary elections. If only one candidate has been nominated, he is declared elected without a vote. If multiple candidates are nominated, the candidate with the most votes using the Instant Run-Off voting system is declared elected. Elections are held in March or April in every sixth year, and the President's term begins on 1st June.
Presidential Authority[]
Article 8 states that if the Office of President becomes vacant, or if the President cannot perform his duties, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall exercise presidential authority. The Prime Minister shall preside at their meetings, and in a difference of opinion between the three, the majority shall prevail.
Removal of the President[]
According to Article 11, the President may be removed from office in the following manner: Parliament must adopt a resolution to remove the President with a three-fourths majority. Then, a referendum must be held within sixty days of the adoption of the resolution. If the referendum passes, the President will be immediately removed from office and a new election must be held within sixty days. If Parliament's resolution is not approved in the referendum, Parliament shall be immediately dissolved and new elections must be called. The President cannot perform his duties from the time the resolution is adopted by Parliament until the results of the referendum are known.
List of Presidents[]
| No. | Name | Born | Died | Party | Entered Office | Left Office | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas O'Riordan | 18th May 1890 | 17th February 1962 | Independent (all-party nomination) | 1st June 1949 | 31st May 1961 | |
| 2 | Jamie St. Croix | 23rd November 1904 | 6th September 1974 | Conservative | 1st June 1961 | 31st May 1967 | |
| 3 | Séan Donovan | 30th April 1921 | Social Democrat | 1st June 1967 | 31st May 1979 | ||
| 4 | Michael Davidson | 10th January 1919 | 12th June 1997 | Conservative | 1st June 1979 | 31st May 1985 | 
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| 5 | Frank O'Connor | 6th August 1930 | Social Democrat | 1st June 1985 | 31st May 1991 | ||
| 6 | Christopher St. Bernard | 16th October 1943 | Social Democrat | 1st June 1991 | 31st May 2003 | 
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| 7 | Margaret O'Hanlon | 3rd May 1959 | Independent (nominated by Social Democrats) | 1st June 2003 | Present | 
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