President of Sanctaria

President of the Divine Republic of Sanctaria
Coat of Arms of Sanctaria
File:Presidential Standard of Sanctaria.png Presidential Standard
Incumbent Marian Woodstrom since 02 May 2012
Style	The Right Honourable (formal) Mister/Madam President (spoken) His/Her Excellency (in international correspondence)
Residence	Eagleston Manor, Sanctus, Sanctaria
Term length	10-12 years renewable once
Formation	11 November 1974
Salary	S£400,000
Website	president.sct

The President of Sanctaria, more formally the President of the Divine Republic of Sanctaria or President of the Divine Republic, is the head of state of Sanctaria, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Sanctarian Armed Forces.

The President holds office for ten years, though this can be extended to twelve years in times of national crisis or emergency. They can be elected for a maximum of two terms, and are directly elected by the people. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but thee President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute discretion. The President acts as chief representative of the Divine Republic and as a guardian of the constitution. The President's official residence is Eagleston Manor, located in the capital city of Sanctus. The office was established by the Constitution of Sanctaria in 1974.

The current President is Marian Woodstrom, who was elected on 28 April 2012. She was inaugurated on 02 May 2012. President Woodstrom is a former Governor of Munsteran; at the time of her election, Munsteran was, despite being de facto and de jure independent, still officially a dependancy of Sanctaria - since then it has achieved full independence. Woodstrom holds dual Sanctarian and Munsterani citizenship. She is the first non-resident of Sanctaria to win election as President. She is a member of the Democratic Left Party, joining prior to her election; while in Munsteran, she was a member of the Liberal Party.

Ordinary duties and functions

The Constitution of Sanctaria provides for a parliamentary system of government, under which the role of the head of state is largely a ceremonial one. The President is formally one of three parts of the Parliament of Sanctaria, which also comprises the House of Deputies (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house).

Unlike many other parliamentary democracies, the President is not even the nominal chief executive. Rather, executive authority is expressly vested in the Government (cabinet). The Government is obliged, however, to keep the President generally informed on matters of domestic and foreign policy. Most of the functions of the President may be carried out only in accordance with the strict instructions of the Constitution, or the binding 'advice' of the Government. The President does, however, possess certain personal powers that may be exercised at his or her discretion.

Constitutional functions

The main functions are prescribed by the Constitution:

Appoints the government

The President formally appoints the Prime Minister of Sanctaria and other ministers, and accepts their resignations. The Prime Minister is appointed upon the nomination of the House of Deputies, and the President is required to appoint whomever the House designates without the right to decline appointment. The remainder of the cabinet is appointed upon the nomination of the Prime Minister and approval of the Senate; as with appointing the Prime Minister, the President is required to make the appointment without the right to appoint someone else. Ministers are dismissed on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister must, unless there is a dissolution of the House, resign upon losing the confidence of the house.

Appoints the judiciary

The President appoints the judges to all courts in Sanctaria, on the advice of the Government.

Convenes and dissolves the parliament

This power is exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister; government or House/Senate approval is not needed. The President may only refuse a dissolution when a Prime Minister has lost the confidence of the House.

Signs bills into law

The President cannot veto a bill that the House and the Senate have adopted. However, he/she may refer it to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. If the Supreme Court upholds the bill, the President must sign it. If, however, it is found to be unconstitutional, the President will decline to give assent.

Represents the state in foreign affairs

This power is exercised only on the advice of the Government. The President accredits ambassadors and receives the letters of credence of foreign diplomats. Ministers sign international treaties in the President's name.

Supreme Commander of the Sanctarian Armed Forces

This role is somewhat similar in statute to that of a commander-in-chief. An officer's commission is signed and sealed by the President. This is a nominal position, the powers of which are exercised on the advice of the Government.

Power of pardon

The President, on the advice of the Government, has "the right of pardon and the power to commute or remit punishment".

Special limitations

• The President may not leave the state without the consent of the Government.
• Every formal address to the nation, or to either or both Houses of Parliament must have prior approval of the Government. Other than on these occasions, there is no limitation on the President's right to speak. However, by convention, Presidents refrain from direct criticism of the Government.

Discretionary powers

The President possesses the following powers exercised "in his absolute discretion" according to the Constitution.

Refusal of parliamentary dissolution

The Prime Minister is required to resign if he has "ceased to retain the support of a majority in the House of Deputies," unless he asks the President to dissolve the House. The President has the right to refuse such a request, in which case the Prime Minister must resign immediately. This power has never been invoked.

Reference of bills to the people

If requested to do so by a petition signed by a majority of the membership of the Senate, and one-third of the membership of the House, the President may decline to sign into law a bill (other than a bill to amend the constitution) he/she considers to be of great "national importance" until it has been approved by either the people in a referendum or the House reassembling after a general election, held within eighteen months. This power has never been used, and no such petition has been invoked.

Other

The following powers are discretionary powers afforded to the President:

Referral of bills to the Supreme Court

The President may refer a bill, in whole or part, to the Supreme Court of Sanctaria to test its constitutionality. If the Supreme Court finds any referred part unconstitutional, the entire bill falls. This power may not be applied to a money bill, or a bill to amend the Constitution. This is the most widely used reserve power.

Appointment of a Committee of Privileges

The President may, if requested to do so by the Senate, establish a Committee of Privileges to solve a dispute between the two Houses as to whether or not a bill is a money bill (a money bill may not be initiated in the Senate).

Address to Parliament

The President may address, or send a message to, either or both Houses of Parliament. The approval of the government is needed for the message; in practice, the entire text is submitted.

Address to the Nation

The President may "address a message to the Nation" subject to the same conditions as an address to Parliament.

Convention of meetings of the Parliament

The President may convene a meeting of either or both Houses of Parliament. This power would allow the President to step in if, in extraordinary circumstances, the ordinary procedures for convening the houses had broken down.

Selection

The President is directly elected by secret ballot using the Alternative Vote, the single-winner analogue of the Single Transferable Vote. A candidate's election formally takes place in the form of a 'declaration' by the returning officer. Where more than one candidate is nominated, the election is 'adjourned' so that a ballot can take place, allowing the electors to choose between candidates. A Presidential election is held in time for the winner to take office the day after the end of the incumbent's ten-year term (or in special circumstances, twelve-year term). In the event of premature vacancy, an election must be held within sixty days.

Only resident Sanctarian citizens aged eighteen or more may vote. Candidates must be Sanctarian citizens and over 35 years old, though they need not be ordinarily resident in the state prior to the election.

Presidents can serve a maximum of two terms, consecutive or otherwise. They must be nominated by one of the following:

• At least 50 members of Parliament (there are currently 900 members);
• At least 10 city councils (there are 414 chartered cities in Sanctaria);
• A petition of least 1,500,000 citizens (there are currently over 500,000,000 citizens);

Where only one candidate is nominated, he or she is deemed elected without the need for a ballot.

The most recent presidential election was held on 26 April 2012.

Absence and vacancies

There is no office of Vice President; in the event of a premature vacancy, a successor must be elected within sixty days. In a vacancy or where the President is unavailable, the duties and functions of the office are carried out by a Presidential Commission, consisting of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sanctaria, the Speaker of the House of Deputies, and the Moderator of the Senate. Routine functions, such as signing uncontentious bills into law, have often been fulfilled by the Presidential Commission when the President is abroad on a state visit. The government's power to prevent the President leaving the state is relevant in aligning the diplomatic and legislative calendars.

Technically each president's term of office expires at midnight on the day before the new president's inauguration. Therefore, between midnight and the inauguration the following day the presidential duties and functions are carried out by the Presidential Commission.

Impeachment and removal from office

The President can be removed from office in two ways, neither of which has, to date, been invoked. The Supreme Court, in a sitting of at least five judges, may find the President "permanently incapacitated", while Parliament may convene a Presidential Impeachment Commission to investigate, and if necessary remove, the President for "stated misbehaviour".

Either house of Parliament may instigate the latter process by passing an impeachment resolution, provided at least one quarter of members move it and at least two thirds support it. The other house will then form the Commission, it consisting of members of that house, to investigate the stated misbehaviour included in the impeachment resolution; following which at least two thirds of members must agree both that the President is guilty and that the charges warrant removal.

Privileges

Compensation

The President's salary is established in statue and may be revised at any time by the government; any changes to salary, however, do not take effect until after a subsequent presidential election. Since May 2012, the President's annual salary has been S£400,000. The President is also allowed up to S£250,000 in annual expenses. In addition, the President is entitled to have their health insurance subsidised in full for the duration of their time in office.

Security

As head of state, the President receives one of the highest levels of protection in the state. Eagleston Manor is protected by armed members of both the Sanctarian Police Force and the Sanctarian Armed Forces at all times, and it is encircled by security fencing and intrusion detection systems. At all times, the President and their spouse travels with an armed security detail; when abroad this security is provided by members of the Diplomatic Security Bureau.

However, unlike retired Prime Ministers, retired Presidents are not entitled to any security detail. To date, no retired President has opted for private security.

Residence

Main Article: Eagleston Manor

When in office, the President is required to live in the official residence of Eagleston Manor. Eagleston Manor is a eighty room building which formerly served as the Patriarch of the Sanctarian Catholic Church's guest house; when the Divine Republic of Sanctaria was formed in 1974 from the Papal States of Sanctaria, the Patriarch signed over ownership of the building to the new Sanctarian state for use as official residence for the new President.

The President also has use of a country residence located on the island of Earrus.

Transportation

While in office, the President has use of a private jet for both national and international travel. Presidents also have both drivers and state cars provided to them, as well as the use of any military aircraft, such as helicopters, when the need arises.

List of office holders

President of Sanctaria
Key	Christian Union Party (CUP)      Sanctarian Conservative Party (SCP)      Independent (IND)      Democratic Left Party (DLP)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Election(s)
1		Paul Devereaux (1902–1992)	19 November 1974	18 November 1984	1974
2		Lawrence Kingsley (1920–1990)	19 November 1984	22 May 1990	1984
3		George Sampson (1919—2008)	03 July 1990	02 July 2000	1990
4		Helena Robinson (b. 1957)	03 July 2000	19 March 2012	2000 2010
5		Marian Woodstrom (b. 1949)	02 May 2012	Incumbent	2012