President of Venadia

President of Venadia
Президент Республика Венадия
File:Kapustov.jpg Incumbent Mikhail Kapustov since 16 May 2005
Residence	Presidential Palace, Venagorod
Seat	Venagorod, Venadia
Appointer	Direct popular vote
Term length	Five years Renewable twice
Formation	11th of July 1847
First holder	Dobromir Agapov
Succession	Prime Minister of Venadia
Salary	85,766 NSD annually
Website	www.president.vda/

The President of the Republic of Venadia (Venadian: Президент Республики Венадия, transcript: President Respubliki Venadiya) is the Head of State and holder of the highest office within the Republic. The Venadian President has a wide array of powers and duties, but overally holds more soft power than hard power. The office of President was created in 1847, permanently replacing that of the Grand Prince as Head of State in Venadia. The President's duties is as the supreme representative of the Venadian Republic, and he does not sit directly in the executive government.

There have been a total of 21 Presidents of Venadia.

Requirements to hold office

• Be a full citizen of Venadia.
• Been a resident of Venadia for at least twenty years.
• Be at least thirty years of age.
• Be no older than seventy years of age.
• Not be a minister or clergy of any church or religious denomination for the past three years.
• Not be in active military service for the past year.
• Have not served three full terms as President in the past.

Election

Since 1915, the President of Venadia has been elected by a direct vote with universal suffrage and a two-round system if no candidate gets a clear majority in the first round. Between 1847 and 1915, the President was elected with more limited suffrage, and by simple plurality in the first round. The Presidential term lasts for five years, and the first round of the Presidential election has to be held in the month of April on the final year of the current President's term while the second round must be held in the month of May, and an incumbent's term can only be renewed twice.

Parties with deputies in the Great Veche can nominate a presidential candidate. Independents can contest the Presidential election, but are required to provide fifty thousand signatures by of-age Venadian citizens. Registered parties with regional representation are required to provide thirty thousand signatures to nominate a presidential candidate. Presidential candidates need to register with the Venadian Electoral Commission by October the year before the Presidential election to stand on the ballot. Write-ins are not possible under the Venadian electoral system.

Campaign financing is strictly regulated in Venadia, with a cap on 10,000 NSD as donations by private citizens and 250,000 NSD by associations and companies. Candidates who receive at least 4% in the first round are reimbursed 50% of their campaign expenditures, up to five million NSD in total. Advertising on TV and radio is forbidden, but debates are hosting on national television during Presidential elections, and each candidate receives a five minute campaign broadcast on the national television channel five days before the election.

The President is sworn in by the Prince of the Great Veche no more than a week after the election, and during this period public organizations, political parties and other presidential candidates are free to challenge the results of the election to the Venadian Electoral Commission.

Powers and duties

The President of Venadia holds the most senior and highest ranked office in Venadia, and with the permission of the Prime Minister and Prince of the Great Veche may implement a state of emergency where he takes full executive control of the nation. Normally, the President holds significant influence over matters of foreign policy and wields some amount of influence over executive, legislative and judicial areas.

• The President may propose bills to the Great Veche
• The President may pardon convicted criminals, and commute their sentences.
• The President appoints Venadian ambassadors.
• The President has legal immunity for the duration of his term, barring such crimes as high treason and corruption.
• The President appoints several other public officials, including half of the Supreme Court.
• The President is the highest ordinary military officer in Venadia, answering only to the Great Veche (who collectively acts as commander-in-chief).
• The President receives foreign ambassadors.
• The President may negotiate with foreign powers on behalf of Venadia, but any treaties are subjected to approval by the Great Veche.
• The President may issue non-binding decrees and interpretations of existing laws.

In addition, the President has several powers alongside the Prime Minister and the Prince of the Great Veche. Most of these require any two of the three mentioned. Usually, the President, Prime Minister and Prince are dubbed 'the triumvirate' for these purposes.

• The Triumvirate may authorize the usage of nuclear weapons.
• The Triumvirate may dissolve the Great Veche.
• The Triumvirate promulgates laws.
• The Triumvirate may veto a law for a period lasting until the next legislative election.
• The Triumvirate may declare a state of emergency.

Oath of Office

Upon taking office, the President of Venadia raises his right hand to his heart and takes the following oath:

"I swear to follow and uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Venadia, and the laws passed by the Great Veche, and to perform with vigor and patriotism the Office of President which the People have entrusted upon me."

Succession

Upon death or impeachment, the current Prime Minister takes over as Acting President until the next scheduled elections. The Great Veche may declare early elections in such cases, but the situation has only occured once in Venadian history (after the assassination of President Kristofor Nazarov). An Acting President is not considered to have served any terms if he is elected in the scheduled Presidential elections, and may then serve a full three terms. If the Prime Minister cannot take over as Acting President, the Prince of the Great Veche becomes Acting President. If the Prince cannot, the highest ranking military officer assumes the roles of Acting President.

2015 Election

Candidate	Party	1st round votes	1st round %	2nd round votes	2nd round %
Mikhail Kapustov	Socialist Party, CRP	35,412,330	38.0%	49,483,600	56.0%
Pavel Pushkin	Liberal-Republican, GP	20,030,796	21.5%	38,998,975	44.0%
German Sitnikov	Independent, endorsed by DP	16,545,832	17.6%
Nikodim Babkin	UP, PP, GVP, CDP	7,963,642	8.7%
Aleksandr Myatlev	Communist Party	5,126,382	5.5%
Mikhail Pronin	Independent	2,139,374	2.3%
Inga Lytkina	Independent	1,955,214	2.1%
Aleksandra Abramova	Apalkovist Union	1,213,565	1.3%
Saleem El-Sayed	Islamic Alliance	1,119,281	1.2%
Sergey Lidin	Libertarian, Federalist	840,183	0.9%
Mihkel Paasuke	Independent	463,285	0.5%
Georgiy Pavlov	Worker's Party, CPV(ML)	373,183	0.4%
Yaroslav Ugolev	Independent	1,485	0.0%
Total valid		93,183,553	96.5%	88,482,575	96.6%
Invalid/blank votes		3,364,805	3.5%	3,099,898	3.4%
Total (Turnout: 77.8%)		96,548,358	100	91,582,473	100
Source: Venadian Electoral Commission

List of Presidents

Name	Term of office	Party
Mikhail Kapustov	2005-	Socialist Party
Leonid Aslanov	2000-2005	Liberal-Republican
Maksimilian Entin	1995-2000	Independent
Aleksei Entin	1990-1995	Socialist Party
Nikolay Kornev	1985-1990	Independent
Dmitriy Belov	1970-1985	Liberal-Republican
Ivan Osintsev	1965-1970	Liberal-Republican
Iskander Kruglov	1955-1965	Socialist Party
Boris Vasiliev	1950-1955	Socialist Party
Radomir Shishko	1935-1950	Independent
Yan Balakin	1930-1935	Republican Party
Yuriy Mordvinov	1920-1930	Socialist-Revolutionary
Rasim Bebnev	1915-1920	Republican Party
Baron Wolfgang Baasch	1904-1915	Constitutional
Kristofor Nazarov	1897-1904	Constitutional
Stepan Zhiglov	1892-1897	Principlist Party
Baron Konstantin Solodnikov	1877-1892	Constitutional
Graf Vladimir Babkin	1867-1877	Principlist Party
Baron Mitrofan Smotrov	1862-1867	Constitutional
Iosif Zykin	1857-1862	Constitutional
Dobromir Agapov	1847-1857	Constitutional