President of Saint-Baptiste

President of the Republic of Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Président de la République de Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Coat of arms
Incumbent Emmanuel Ménard since 29 May 2011
Office of the President
Style	The Right Honourable
Residence	Place Rose, Port-Anne
Appointer	Direct popular vote
Term length	Five years Renewable once
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Saint-Baptiste
Inaugural holder	Claude-Antoine Bachelet
Formation	1 July 1947
Salary	$100,000 annual
Website	www.president.sb

The President of the Republic of Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Principean: Président de la République de Saint-Jean-Baptiste) is the head of state of Saint-Baptiste. Originally the highest post in a presidential republic, the President since the adoption of Saint-Baptiste's 1990 constitution takes the role of equal partner alongside the Prime Minister. The current President is Emmanuel Ménard, since 2011.

History and role

In Saint-Baptiste's original 1947 constitution, the role of President was granted sweeping powers, including a final veto over the Chamber of Deputies, the creation of the country's cabinet, and only minor checks and balances over the position. The president was initially voted directly by the electorate for a six-year term, renewable once. The passing of the 1948 Security Act overturned much of these checks on power, and Claude-Antoine Bachelet retained the role of President for forty-one years as a de facto dictator.

Democratization and the passing of a new constitution in 1990 has changed the role of President significantly, stripping the position's legislative functions and placing control over most government agencies and decisions in the hands of the newly-created post of Prime Minister. In the present day, the President of Saint-Baptiste acts as the executive head of the state, intended to be the "sober second reader" of legislation and a representative of Saint-Baptiste abroad. The President officially appoints and confirms the Prime Minister and their government, and has the right and responsibility to call elections, including a snap election. They also retain a notable veto power over the Chamber of Deputies, which can be repealed by a two-thirds majority in the legislature.

If the incumbent President is incapacitated or resigns during their term, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, more commonly referred to as the speaker, is appointed Acting President (Président par intérim) until a new election can be held within a hundred days of the resignation.

List of Presidents

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Political party	Election
1		Claude-Antoine Bachelet (1894–1988)	1 July 1947	4 September 1988 (Died in office)	Independent	1947
–		Martial Haillet (1931–2019) Acting President	4 September 1988	4 January 1989	PPRN	–
2		Édouard Bachelet (1937–2012)	4 January 1989	2 June 1991	PPRN (until 1990) UCD (from 1990)	–
3		Samuel Lucy (1940–)	2 June 1991	2 June 1996	MRD	1991
4	File:Vincent Beache.png	Cyrille Bachelet (1956–)	2 June 1996	4 June 2006	UCD	1996 2001
5		Jean-Michel Fournier (1932–2013)	4 June 2006	29 May 2011	UCD	2006
6		Emmanuel Ménard (1949–)	29 May 2011	Incumbent	PAN	2011 2016