President of Carucere
| President of the Republic of Carucere | |
|---|---|
| Prezidan Repiblik Karuku | |
.svg) Presidential Emblem | |
 Presidential Standard | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Status | Head of state |
| Residence | State House, Carucere |
| Seat | Kingston |
| Appointer | Direct election |
| Term length | Four years |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Carucere |
| Precursor | Governor of Carucere |
| Inaugural holder | Jean Preval |
| Formation | 17 July 1957 |
| Succession | Premier of Carucere (as Vice President) |
| Deputy | Vice President of Carucere |
The President of Carucere, officially the President of the Republic of Carucere (Papotement: Prezidan Repiblik Karuku), is the head of state of Carucere. Under the Constitution of Carucere, the president holds the highest office of the federal government as chief diplomat and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Republic. The current president is Neil Gaubina, who took office on 1 December 2018.
Under the parliamentary system of the Carucerean Republic, the Presidency was a completely ceremonial office with no real executive power. Under the new constitution, the office were granted additional executive powers to increase separation of powers. The Presidency achieved its current role under Jean Preval, who held the office for 12 years from 1972 to 1984. Today Carucere functions as a de-facto semi-presidential republic where the President has the leading role in the government as allowed by the Senate. The office is elected by a unique electoral system centered around principles of consociationalism; a candidate must win an absolute majority nationwide and at least 33 percent of the votes in six of the eleven provinces of Carucere.
Role
Carucere has a de-facto semi-presidential system, with the President as the country's most senior office. Although it is the Premier and the Senate that oversee and direct much of the country's actual governmental affairs, it is ultimately the President that decides the direction and priorities of the Government, making the office similar to the powers found in presidential systems. The President serve as chief diplomat and the supreme commander of the Carucerean Defence Force.
The President's greatest power is their ability to appoint the Premier. However, since the Senate must approve the election by a two-thirds majority vote, the Premier named by the president must be supported by the Senate, or the candidate will be denied. The President has the discretionary power to dissolve the Senate when they see fit, such as when the Premier is unable to govern due to the Senate's disapproval. As a result, the President has the ability to guide the direction of national politics in the country.
The President must promulgate all laws enacted by the Senate or the Government for them to come into force. However the President has the authority to veto laws, although the Senate can override this by a two-thirds majority vote. The president may also refer the law for review by the Council of State if the President doubts its constitutionality. The President also serves as chief legislator, by enacting decrees with the full force of law and by submitting legislation to the Senate.
The role of the President historically varied. As President, Preval used his popularity and continuing political instability to exercise prerogatives beyond what was granted to him in the constitution. The President became the main executive power with the Premiership only serving to execute policy rather than creating it. As a result up until the late 1960s, the President's power in Carucere was personalized rather than institutionalized which meant that the power of the president depended largely on President Preval's political standing. Despite his retirement in 1984, the power of the Presidency remained and further reforms have institutionalized its powers.
Qualification
In order to be qualified to be elected president, a candidate must:
- Be a citizen of Carucere by birth or parentage
- Have resided in Carucere for a period of seven years prior to the date of the election
- Be qualified to be elected a member of the Senate, which requires to:
- Be a citizen of Carucere 18 years or older
- Be able to speak and read the Gaullican language
Election
The electoral system for the President of Carucere is unique among semi-presidential systems, as it reflects its consociational principles. Under the current electoral law, presidential candidates are nominated by political parties running for the Senate to stand for a direct election. To win outright a candidate must win more than half of the total votes cast in the election and at least 33% of the votes cast in six of the eleven provinces of Carucere. If no candidate achieves, the election proceeds to a run-off election, where candidate with the higher number of nationwide votes wins.
The President may only be reelected once and are limited to two full terms in office.
Powers & Duties
As part of their duties under the Constitution of Carucere, the President is required to uphold the Constitution and preserve the safety of Carucere, as the head of state and as the commander-in-chief of the military. To perform their duties, the president is given the powers:
- to declare war.
- to promulgate laws.
- to veto laws, decree-laws, regulatory decrees and other Government decrees.
- to refer laws and decrees for constitutional review by the Council of State.
- to dissolve the Senate and call new elections which leads to the resignation of the Government.
- to appoint the Premier and other members of the Cabinet.
- to hold a referendum regarding issues of national importance.
- to issue decrees with the full force of legislation. However decrees require an enabling act to come into force and can be overridden if the Senate passes conflicting legislation.
- to submit legislation to the Senate. While the President lacks de jure authority to draft legislation for the Senate, the President usually asks the Premier to submit a bill on their behalf.
- to issue medals and honors for serving the nation.
- to issue pardons.
- to declare a state of emergency suspending all laws or enacting a state of martial law.
- to regulate and join treaties, alliances, and other agreements coming from foreign states according to the Constitution.
- to appoint senior public officials.
Despite the President's central role, there are significant limitations on the President's executive powers. Political cohabitation, a situation where the majority of the Senate does not unreservedly support the President, is common in Carucerean politics. As a result, the President's power is usually diminished, as the President's de facto power relies on a supportive Premier and Senate, and is not directly wielded by the President. For example, most major decisions, such as budgetary and military matters, requires the assent of the Cabinet for a presidential decision to take effect. As a result, the President usually holds consultations with the Senate and the Cabinet before making important decisions to prevent conflict. Commentators have noted that executive-legislative relations creates a political system where the President is given significant power but only within the confines set by the Senate.
Removal
According to the Constitution of Carucere, the Senate may remove the President due to "permanent moral or physical incapacity", as declared by the Senate. However as the Senate has not defined "moral incapacitation", the Senate can initiate impeachment proceedings against the President effectively without cause. After beginning proceedings, the Senate begins a special session, where the accused has the ability to defend themselves in front of the Senate. After a debate, the Senate can remove the President from office by a two-thirds majority vote.