President of Omerica

President of Omerica
Président de l'Omerique
Incumbent Casimir Paquet
Style	The Right Honourable (within Omerica) His Excellency (outside Omerica)
Residence	Palace of the Republic
Seat	Port-des-Saints
Appointer	Estates General
Term length	Seven years, non-renewable
Constituting instrument	Instrument of Government
First holder	Maximilian Christopher, Marquess of Barkesville
Deputy	Speaker of the House of Plenipotentiaries
Salary	ƒ780,000 ($156,000) per year
Website	president.gov.or

The President of Omerica (French: Président de l'Omerique) is the ceremonial head of state of the United Republics of Omerica and its highest federal political magistrate. The President acts as the personification of the state and its unity, the defender of national independence and the guarantor of constitutional governance.

The President is indirectly elected by a joint sitting of the Estates General for a single non-renewable term of seven years, traditionally coming from a background of civic service and respecting alternation between anglophones and gallophones. During their term in office, the President must suspend partisan affiliations and act above party politics.

Role

Omerica operates under a parliamentary system, which renders the President a largely ceremonial figure. The President nonetheless holds a number of influential reserve powers, most notable being the power to nominate the Prime Minister of Omerica. However, the nominated Prime Minister must be confirmed by the House of Commons and, by convention, the President cannot directly dismiss the Prime Minister, which may only be done by the House of Commons. This forces the President to choose a Prime Minister acceptable to the majority of the House.

Per the Instrument of Government, which formally constitutes the basis of the organisation of the institutions of state, the President is empowered to:

• Name the Prime Minister of Omerica, subject to confirmation by the House of Commons;
• Name other federal ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister;
• Name members of the Tribunal of Constitutional Guarantees and other judges, subject to confirmation by the House of Plenipotentiaries;
• Dissolve the House of Commons and call snap elections;
• Convoke extraordinary sessions of the Estates General;
• Grant pardons, commutations and compassionate release to criminals convicted of federal offences;
• Promulgate Acts of the Estates General and government decrees;
• Refer treaties or laws to popular referendum;
• Act as Commander-in-Chief of the United Republican Defence Forces;
• Declare a state of emergency, provided they explain the reason for the declaration to the Estates General;
• Declare war on a foreign state, government or other organisation, subject to approval by the Estates General;
• Negotiate, sign and ratify treaties and international conventions, subject to approval by the Estates General;
• Receive foreign ambassadors and plenipotentiaries;
• Recognise and revoke recognition of foreign states and governments; and
• Award all federal honours.

Except for powers that are subject to the approval of the Estates General, all decisions of the President in matters of state must be countersigned by the relevant government minister.

Election

The President is chosen an indirect election every seven years. Candidates must have been Omerican citizens for at least twenty-one years (thus implying a minimum age of candidacy of 21) and have lived in Omerica continuously for at ten years within the date of their election—though, by law, absences of 30 days or fewer or on diplomatic assignment do not interrupt residency. Additionally, candidates are disqualified if they have previously been elected President, have been an active or reserve member of the United Republican Defence Forces within ten years of the date of their election or have been convicted of electoral offences.

Presidential elections are conducted in a joint sitting of the Estates General presided over by the Speaker of the House of Commons, who serves as the returning officer for the election, and takes place by secret ballot. A candidate must receive an absolute majority of votes to be elected, with successive rounds of voting taking place until a candidate is elected. Upon election, the President-elect must take an oath to defend the constitution and sovereignty of the United Republics before the Estates General; refusal to swear the oath or taking the oath with a reservation voids the election and requires the Estates General to elect a new candidate.

Succession and incapacity

Upon the death or resignation of the President, the Speaker of the House of Plenipotentiaries acts as interim President until a new election can be called. Upon a vacancy in the office, a new election must be organised no sooner than forty-five and no more than ninety days after the vacancy occurs. During this period, an interim President may not dissolve the House of Commons, call any referendums or initiate any legislation or treaties. Tobias Solberg is the only Speaker to have been called on to serve as the interim President, doing so after the assassination of Just Cartier.